


Idiosyncrasy

by Michaela18



Category: Divergent (Movies), Divergent - All Media Types, Divergent Series - Veronica Roth
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-19
Updated: 2021-03-21
Packaged: 2021-03-28 21:48:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 35,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30146082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Michaela18/pseuds/Michaela18
Summary: Tris took things too far and is in need of some serious intervention. Who will be able to get her back on track and help her become an improved version of herself?
Relationships: Eric/Tris Prior
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	1. Prologue

_Idiosyncrasy – noun_

_– a peculiarity or constitution of temperament;_

_\- a mode of behaviour or way of thought peculiar to an individual. It can also mean an odd habit.  
The term is often used to express _ _eccentricity_ _or peculiarity. A_ _synonym_ _may be "_ _quirk_ _"._

**...**

**Prologue**

**Max POV**

"Max, have you seen Tris?"  
I slowly turn around to look at Four who looks at me imploringly.  
"No! Did you check her office? The lights were on when I came in an hour ago," I find myself explaining to him for some reason.  
"The lights are still on, but the door is locked. She doesn't answer her phone and she doesn't seem to be at home. I just want to make sure she is okay. It is not like her to miss a shift in the control room," he tells me, and I have to agree.  
"When was she supposed to be there," I follow up.  
"An hour ago," he answers, cringing when Eric passes us.  
"Eric, did you see Tris," I shout after him.  
"No, but she is logged into ChicagoSecure. Check her office," he shouts back without stopping and he is gone before I can tell him she has the door locked.

"Come on, I'll check her office and her diary for you."  
Four follows me like a dog a bone, and when I put my master key into Tris' lock I find it is already unlocked, yet the door won't budge.  
"Tris, are you in there," I shout while knocking loudly.  
No answer, of course.  
I scratch my head and look at the door.  
"Is that glue," I ask exasperated when I see a clear substance all around.  
Four leans closer and starts cursing loudly.  
"I'll kill them," he growls, and I get an idea as to what might have happened to the door.  
"This still doesn't explain where Tris is," I wonder out loud, and Four finally stops cursing to look at me with concern. "Do you think those stupid asses did something to her," he asks anxiously.  
"They wouldn't dare. Hana loves Tris like she was her own. She'd kill Zeke or Uriah without second thought."  
"Come with me, but do not utter a word to anyone regarding what you are about to see," I warn and walk back to my office, unlock the door and lock it from inside. I keep the lights switched off and move to the storage closet.  
Four is hot on my heels and whistles loudly when he sees that there is a fake wall at the back, allowing me to enter a narrow passage.  
I silently count until I reach the third door and gently push it open.  
No sound can be heard and I cautiously open the door to Tris' office.

The sight that greets me makes me jump into action.  
Tris is slumped over her desk, arms hanging lifelessly towards the ground and I can't see any sign of life.  
Four is passing me and rushing to check her pulse.  
"I can't feel anything," he exclaims. "She is ice cold," he adds.  
I quickly empty her water glass and hold it in front of her nose and mouth. There is a bare minimum of fogging up. "She's still alive, grab her and run to the infirmary. I'll call ahead," I tell him while walking up to the door and give it a few good kicks. The glue holds, but the rest of the door splinters and I am just pulling more pieces out of the way when Veronica runs out of her office and stares at me like I've lost it.  
As soon as the hole is big enough I make space and let Four pass me. I can see Veronica rush after him before I turn to the phone.

…

Twenty minutes later I finally arrive at the infirmary.  
"Any news," I ask Veronica and Four.  
They simply shake their heads and I sit down to wait with them.  
Suddenly Four jumps up and curses once more. I have to admit, I have never seen him lose his composure like this over anything, not even when Tris was facing obstacles throughout her initiation.  
"Can you call the control room after you speak with the doctors? I have to fill in for Tris and then start my own volunteer hours."  
"Sure," I nod my head, and with one longing look at the closed doors of the treatment area he finally leaves.  
"Did you ask the terrible two what they did," Veronica asks me.  
"No," I admit.  
"I'll take care of it." She gets up and walks to the counter, chatting with the nurse for a moment before she comes around and picks up the phone.  
Smart woman, she is calling Hana.

...

Not even ten minutes later we can hear howling and yelling before the door to the infirmary is pushed open with force and Zeke and Uriah are brought in by their mom who has a strong grip on their ears.  
"Explain yourselves," I order, and Hana lets go but doesn't step back.  
"We did nothing wrong," Zeke starts, and Uriah nods his head.  
"Then who else would glue Tris' office door shut? I need to know what else you did. Tris is right in there," I point towards the treatment rooms. "She looked barely alive and I want to know what the fuck happened to her," I roar.

Zeke and Uriah look at each other with worry edged onto their faces.  
"We wanted to force her to take it easy," Uriah explains, and I can see from Veronica's and Hana's faces that they have no idea what that is supposed to mean either.  
"Tris is working volunteer shifts all over the faction and she did not listen to us telling her to take a break. She looked like death when we saw her a few days ago," Zeke explains.  
"So you tried to trap her in her office," I ask with all the annoyance I feel for the whole situation I find myself dealing with.  
"We thought if she can't go and work in the control room or the kitchen..."  
"Or maintenance," Uriah throws in.  
"If she couldn't get there, she couldn't work, and maybe take the time to have a nap in her office. We even hid bedding and snacks in there for her to find," Zeke explains further.

"Why did you not come to me with your concerns," I ask once more.  
"Tris wouldn't have listened to you either. Her Abnegation upbringing would never let her sit still if there were unfulfilled jobs waiting for people. She is a leader and to her that means she has to pick up the slack."  
"Christina told her she looks like shit. Marlene told her that she is giving her the medical advice of working only in the office for the next week and to keep it to nine to five. Tris laughed in her face and picked up an extra shift doing breakfast prep," Uriah continues.

"Well, shit!" I rub my hands over my face. "She looked tired but I didn't say anything," I admit.  
"We all saw her and said nothing," Veronica admits.  
"She wouldn't have listened to any of us anyway," Hana chuckles darkly. "Tris is too much like her mother - stubborn as hell," she continues.  
"And what will we do now? If they put her on bedrest she'll release herself within the hour," I whine.  
"Let's hear first what the doctors have to say," Hana reminds us that we don't know anything yet and together we all sit and wait.

It takes another twenty minutes before Hector comes out to talk to us. He looks surprised to see our increased numbers but takes it all in his stride.  
"Tris will be okay. She was severely dehydrated and I doubt she has been eating properly over the last week or so, probably longer..." He waits for us to stop cursing before he continues. "She is burned out and needs to take it easy for a while. Catching up on sleep, eating three square meals a day and just relaxing and recharging her batteries. She is hereby banned from volunteering at the infirmary and I would recommend doing it for any other department."  
"She helped out here as well," I gasp.  
He nods gravely and then turns to all of us. "Who will ensure she follows through?"  
Silence.  
"I'll let you know. When will she be released," I ask.  
"We had to sedate her. She tried to take the IV out when she came to and moaned about having to get back to work. She'll be out for a couple of hours and if you have everything sorted I will release her tonight."

Well shit.  
I look at the others and nod towards the door.  
They follow me to my office and I place a quick call to the control room, updating Four and issuing the order of not giving Tris extra hours without my approval.

Then we begin to hatch a plan to force Tris to relax and recover.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**Tris POV**

I can hear mumbling... people are sitting close by and chatting animatedly. What is going on?

My eyes open wide and I sit upright in bed.  
"I am late for work," I exclaim.  
"Lie back down," Max demands and pushes my shoulders back down.  
My body betrays me and follows the gentle force from Max's hands.  
"Why am I still here," I ask, not expecting an answer, but apparently getting one nonetheless.  
"Because you wouldn't listen to your doctor and he decided to knock you out," Max deadpans.  
"He is not here now, so help me up and I'll discharge myself," I state quickly.  
"No," Max replies, and I look at him in shock.  
"No?! But Max, I have so much stuff to do. The faction is short of staff in every department..." I give him a pleading look and he has the audacity to turn around and look away.  
"No! You will follow doctors orders and that is to take it easy for the next week or two. Hector said that you can be released from hospital if you have someone taking care of you..."  
"Four will do it," I interrupt him.  
"No, he won't," Max deadpans without looking at me.  
"Then I will ask Hana if she will let me stay with her."  
"Hana will not take care of you either. Hana will be busy at work and we feel that you should have someone keeping an eye on you around the clock," Max explains.  
"I don't need a babysitter. Just let me stay in my apartment, send someone to bring me food and give me my laptop. I will work from home," I try to convince him with the sweetest voice I can muster.

Max still refuses to look at me so I have to do the next best thing. "Please, uncle Max. Mom would let me do it. You know I need to keep busy or I will lose my mind," I try to persuade him.  
"No, Tris," Max sighs and finally looks at me. He groans and promptly turns back around. "I had a nice chat with Hana, Zeke, Uriah, Four, Marlene, Christina, Ben, Tori and a sleuth of department heads and we all agreed that you will not stick to taking it easy if you are left alone for any amount of time. Also," he raises his eyes and puts the hands up in a defensive gesture, "we all agreed there is just one person who will be able to do the job. Eric," Max states, and then runs out of the room when he sees my eyes.

I have no doubt they are full of disbelief and a sense of betrayal. That's exactly how I feel. My friends and family abandon me to be left with Eric?!

"Are they insane?!"

"No," Eric's deep voice answers from the door. "They finally used their brains and came to the right conclusion."  
Eric closes the door behind himself and comes closer. He pulls a chair out and sits beside my bed.  
"Quit pouting, it's not going to work on me. So, we will be stuck with each other for the next two weeks, doctors orders. Are you ready to be released into my care?"  
"No, I am not going anywhere with you," I state.  
"Well, it sounded more like I will be wheeling you back to the leadership wing," he quips, and pushes the call button next to my bed.

Hector comes in so fast, I am sure he was just outside, waiting for Eric to signal him.  
"Hello Tris, nice to see you alive," he deadpans.  
"Ha ha ha, now look at me and tell me the whole 'Eric has to take care of you' thing is a joke. You are here to set me free and I will see you tomorrow evening for my shift."  
"No, Tris." Hector turns around as well and talks to the door while his back is to me. "You are only allowed to leave the hospital if Eric is the one taking care of you."  
"Hector, look at me," I coax with a gentle voice.  
"I am no better than Max and I will let you convince me otherwise if I look at you. You are worse than Medusa because I will be around to do it again and again," Hector tells me, and I chuckle.  
"Then just look at me and set me free," I demand.  
"Shut up, Tris," Eric orders, and I gape at him. "Hector, do you have the vitamins Tris needs to take and the wheelchair?"  
"Outside the door. I will get them for you," Hector offers and rushes through the door as if his ass is on fire.  
He returns seconds later with the offending medical device and I think I even growled at him.  
"Come on, Tris," Eric orders, and pushes the wheelchair along the side of the bed. "Scoot over," he demands, and then simply ogles me when I maneuver from the bed onto the chair.  
"Am I allowed to shower alone," I ask Hector.  
"Of course, but dressing yourself and doing your bathroom routine are the extend of what you will be doing. No cooking or cleaning," he orders.

Eric wheels me out and my protests echo down the halls, all the way to the leadership apartments.  
"Thanks, Eric, but I can take it from here."  
I try to stand up and he pushes me back down. "Sit," he orders.  
"I am not a dog, I am your equal," I remind him.  
"At the moment you are a whiny brat who doesn't get what she wants," he concludes and opens his own apartment door. He pushes me inside and I can hear the locks engage before I even have a chance to turn the damned wheelchair around.  
"Great," I huff, and once more try to stand up.  
This time Eric doesn't stop me and I am quickly grabbing onto the back of his sofa to hold myself up. My legs are wobblier than I thought they would be.

Eric doesn't comment and I give him credit for simply supporting my waist and walking me around the sofa so I can sit down.  
He doesn't linger, but pushes the wheelchair out of the way and walks into the kitchen with a bag he retrieved from the back of said wheelchair.  
"Water or orange juice," he shouts.  
"Water," I reply, and he returns with a full glass and one pill, handing me both.  
"What's this," I ask.  
"Hector gave you a couple of vitamins, but this is a simply rehydration solution. Just put it in the water and it will dissolve. You can take your time, but you need to finish the glass within the next hour," Eric explains, and leaves me alone again.

I drop the pill and watch the shell dissolve and a slightly milky liquid starts to form almost immediately.  
I take a sip and grimace. This tastes vile.  
"I know it is disgusting, but it is just this once that you need to take it. Afterwards we simply have to write down how much you drink each day." Eric surprises me when he sits down beside me.  
He changed into sweatpants and a long-sleeved t-shirt.  
"Are you off for the whole time I am grounded," I ask curiously. Maybe he will be back to work tomorrow. Here is to hoping...  
"No, I am off for as long as you need to have someone with you," he declares, and I look at him with a scowl.  
"What does that mean," I demand to know.  
"It means that you will be here for the next two weeks and then we will be working alongside each other until I am convinced that you won't pull the same crap again."  
"Hey, that's uncalled for. There are staff shortages and we all have to chip in with some extra hours."  
"And we do, but we all know that one extra shift is enough."  
I am sulking and Eric is ignoring me. He has the audacity to grab a book and start reading until a timer goes off in the kitchen.

I can smell something delicious and my traitorous body lets out a pitiful growl, demanding to be filled with whatever smells so good.  
"Just a second," Eric shouts from the kitchen and I am mortified that he heard me.

It doesn't take long and Eric returns with two plates. Big mountains of lasagna are on each, but it isn't your typical lasagna that I have eaten in the cafeteria.  
"What is in the filling," I ask while poking it with my fork.  
"Onions, garlic, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes and cheese," Eric explains.  
"Did you make that yourself?" I am honestly curious, I did not take Eric for someone who cooks his own meals.  
"I like to eat more nutritious food than what they serve in the cafeteria. I don't cook that often, but when I do, I freeze most of it," Eric tells me, and I am surprised at his openness.  
"It smells great," I compliment.  
Eric brings me a glass of orange juice and exchanges my dirty water glass for a fresh one.

We don't really talk over dinner, but it is not an unpleasant silence either.  
Eric clears the plates when we are done and I can hear him do the dishes.

"What now," I ask curiously when he comes back and stares at me.  
"Uh, Tris..." Eric points to his teeth and I follow his movement with one of my own.  
"Crap," I curse when I feel the blob of spinach stuck in between my teeth.  
I try to clean it quickly, but Eric shakes his head.  
"Just head over to the mirror," he points behind me.  
"No thanks,' I state and get to work again.  
"Still there," he states.  
I try again and he shakes his head in annoyance.  
"Just look in the damned mirror, Tris."  
"I don't want to!"  
Eric growls really loudly.  
"Max should have let me train you from the get go. He is a sucker for you and you know it," Eric admonishes. "He should have taught you how to rid yourself of those unwelcoming Abnegation traits..."  
"Hey," I protest, but he shuts me up by simply continuing.  
"Max should have made sure you are able to face a mirror; he should have made sure you learn to delegate and he should have made sure that you do not dance on everyone's nose," Eric lists off.  
"Then why did you not offer to train me if you know best?"  
"Because Max thought I would be too mean to you," he growls. "You are Natalie Wright's precious daughter and for that fact alone Hana and Max coddled you when they should have worked you harder. You look at them with those puppy eyes and they give in instantly."  
"Are you done," I ask annoyed.  
"No," Eric deadpans. "They should have made sure your selflessness disappeared and, if that wasn't possible, for you to learn to curb it when needed. Clearly that was not the case or else you wouldn't have taken extra jobs on the side, working yourself to the brink of death and refusing to follow doctor's orders when told to let others fill the vacancies and take time to recover. If you don't like being stuck with me then you should have thought twice about trying to go back to work as soon as you woke up in the infirmary."

And with that said Eric walks to the bathroom and promptly returns with a small mirror and a toothpick, putting both beside me and sitting down to finish his dessert in peace.  
Dessert?! When did he bring that, I wonder while staring at the piece of Dauntless cake he is inhaling.  
"Clean your teeth and then you can have your own," Eric tells me without looking at me. "Stop pouting," he adds, and I can feel my mouth go slack.  
How did he know?  
"I don't have to look at you. I know your m.o."  
"My m.o," I wonder out loud.  
"Modus operandi - I know how you work, Tris. You pout and use puppy eyes if you want things to go your way. Everybody knows this and still they give in whenever you do it. Suckers," he mumbles the last part but I still hear him.  
"Hey," I protest, but it is on the weak side. I know he is right, but they are my suckers, so I have to disagree.  
To my surprise and relief, Eric leaves it at that and hands me my own piece of Dauntless cake when I put the mirror down.

Once more he leaves me alone to take care of the dishes.  
"Do you want to try and walk to your bedroom or do you need the wheelchair?"  
"I'll walk." Even if it kills me.

It doesn't get that bad, but I am relying on Eric's help more than I like to admit.  
His guest room is the same as mine and I can see a bag with some of my clothes on the bed.  
"Hana packed for you. There is more in the dresser and she put your toiletries into the bathroom. I'll bring the wheelchair in case you need it tonight," Eric offers, but once more doesn't give me the chance to decline.

Before long I am tucked into a surprisingly comfortable bed and sound asleep.

...

I don't need an alarm to wake me up early and the following morning is no exception. I feel good and get through my morning routine in no time.  
What to do now? Oh, I know...

…

"What the fuck are you doing here," Eric shouts when he comes into my office twenty minutes later.  
"I am catching up on paperwork. I missed a lot yesterday and I will be busy for a while," I tell him without taking my eyes from the screen or my fingers off the keyboard.  
"Switch the computer off!"  
"No," I state, still ignoring him.  
"Now," Eric roars, and I finally look up at him, annoyed for his continued disturbance.  
"No!"  
Eric stalks over and rips all the plugs from the sockets.  
"Excuse me," I growl. "What the fuck was that for? It will take me a while to boot the whole thing up now," I lament, but Eric isn't done yet. He grabs my chair and wheels me towards the door.  
"Stop it," I screech at full capacity but he doesn't listen. He simply clamps a hand on my shoulder when I try to get off the chair.  
"Ow, that hurts," I complain loudly.  
"Not as much as it should," he growls right in my ear.  
"Watch it," I moan when he bumps the chair against the door frame when I hook my foot around it to stop Eric from going any further.  
"Trouble in paradise?" Max chuckles when we pass him in the hallway.  
"Shut up, you created this mess," Eric growls at Max. "She snuck out while I was in the shower. I will call you when I have her locked in her bedroom."  
Max waves and blows me a kiss, ignoring my continued curses aimed at both of them.

Eric wheels me past a few stunned members but we both ignore them in favor of cussing each other out.  
Contrary to what he told Max, he doesn't lock me into my bedroom but changes the combination on the lock and subsequently locks us both inside the apartment.  
My chair is abandoned in the living room and Eric stalks past me into his bedroom.  
I can hear drawers slam and soon Eric returns fully dressed.  
Yeah, he dragged me through the hallways wearing only sweatpants and boots...

Eric marches past me into the kitchen, still giving me the cold shoulder and there is renewed door slamming and I can hear a few things banging.  
I decide to move off the chair and sit on the sofa. It is more comfortable than my office chair, that's for sure.

Eric returns to the living room after a while and sets a plate with toast and a banana in front of me together with a glass of water and some vitamins.  
He doesn't linger but heads into his bedroom and I can hear him talk, but not what he is saying, must be the promised phone call to Max.

Eric doesn't return and I take the time to eat my breakfast in the peaceful silence I know represents the calm before the storm. Eric hasn't spoken his last words yet and I am sure I will hear plenty about leaving the apartment and going into the office.  
Truth is, I was bored out of my mind and Eric having a shower was just the perfect opportunity that I took when it presented itself.

I am used to being active, I honestly can't sit still, and I do need something to do with my time. My body is used to getting up early and I can operate on a bare minimum of sleep. What do the doctors know? I only needed a good nights sleep and some rehydration, not a forced two week leave of absence.

When my breakfast is finished I rinse my plate and grab a book from the shelf to help me waste the time until Eric is ready to talk to me.

…

**Eric POV**

I should have known it would come to this. Abnegation are brainwashed from birth onwards and simply defecting and choosing another faction doesn't erase all those habits of a lifetime. During initiation Tris already showed that she has what it takes to be a leader, unfortunately she also showed that the Abnegation would not be left behind. She stood up to me when she took Al's place in front of the target. I admired her guts, but I hated her need to take someone else's punishment. I knew early on I had to keep an eye on her, but every time I tried to teach her the way to become truly Dauntless someone had to come and protect her with their misguided need to do her a favor.  
Tris might not have set out to manipulate all the people around her, but she certainly did not hold back when she needed them to comply which, unfortunately, was more often than not.  
They indulged her and hence they are all just as responsible as Tris for her current predicament.  
The hard lesson she is about to learn is to let go and delegate.

She snuck out this morning and I freaked a bit when I realized she was gone. I got stuck with her because they think I am the only one she doesn't have wrapped around her little finger yet and can dance on my nose as she pleases. Stupid fuckers are stuck in a predicament of their own making.  
Having to track her down in her office hurt my reputation. If the members think Tris can play her games with me and get away with it they won't take me serious anymore. I can't let that happen. I won't let that happen!

With that I grab the phone and call Max.

"I need you to call in a favor. Tris can't stay here, she will go crazy knowing all the work that is going undone, she needs a different scenery so talk to Johanna and make it happen," I say quietly into the phone, less she overheard and started circumventing my plan.  
"Fine, I'll see what I can do. Don't kill her, Eric. That's my only condition."  
Max sounds exhausted and I feel him. He looked ten years older when he and Hana approached me with the idea of taking on Tris because I seem to be the only one with a grip on reality.  
"I'll call you in a few minutes," Max states and hangs up on me.

I start packing a bag. I am aware Max hasn't gotten back to me yet, but I don't expect anything less than a positive reply. He knows I am right and if he really wants what's best for Tris he will ensure she stays far away from any situation that will make her work herself to death.

I do have an idea of what Johanna will offer Max, she is a smart woman and has her head screwed on right when she is in counseling mode. In anticipation of this I am charging all electronics and downloading entertainment before we will be stuck out at Amity.

My phone lights up, something else I did in order to not alert Tris to what I am doing in here.  
"Talk to me," I greet Max.  
"Johanna was receptive and offered an isolation cabin they have. They gift it to newly wed couples, but despite that it sounds perfect. It has electricity but no internet connection. It is more than a day's hike away from the compound and not anywhere near the train tracks. Tris will have no way of making it back without you catching up to her. She might get busy in the house and garden, but that won't be enough to work herself to death and Johanna thinks letting her get busy outdoors will be more beneficial to her health, both physical and mental."

That sounds just like what I was hoping for.

"What about provisions," I ask Max.  
"Johanna is sending someone over to stock it up with everything you will need for the next two weeks," Max starts, but I interrupt him.  
"Call her back and make it three weeks. After two weeks with Tris I need a week to recover myself," I demand, and Max chuckles.  
"Will I organises a pick up for Tris when the two weeks are up," he asks cheekily.  
"I'll let you know," I reply nonplussed.  
"How do you mean to do that?"  
"If there is a sock hanging from the door tell them to turn around and not come back for another week."  
"Why, you," Max shouts into the phone, and I hold it away from my ear. "If you even think about touching her I will kill you," he threatens.  
I let him rant while I continue to download book after book and movie after movie from the Erudite online library.

Jeanine was kind enough to reinstate my access after I continued to pester her for print versions of a ton of reference books every single time we met. I never wanted the books although I made them sound authentic. I wanted the online access and she never caught on, thinking she was so smart and saving herself the time to get all those books ordered for me.  
Maybe I should add some for Tris? There is only so much gardening and cleaning that can be done during daylight hours and then what?

"Max, can you commission another tablet for Tris? One that doesn't have the bells and whistles a leader has, just a basic one with a large memory, and bring it to me at least an hour before we need to leave," I interrupt him, and it seems I caught him off guard.  
There is silence.  
"Why," he finally asks.  
"Because she will go stir crazy in the evenings so I want to give her a selection of e-books to read... unless you prefer it I entertained her differently. You know what, forget about the tablet. I have to go and stock up on condoms. Call me when you know what time we'll leave," I state and hang up on him.

I am chuckling to myself and mentally patting my shoulder for my brilliance when the phone lights up again.  
"What, Max? I really need to go and get those condoms," I say instead of a proper greeting.  
"I will make you an eunuch if you touch Tris," Max tells me in a deadly voice that actually catches my attention.  
"Is that so," I drawl.

This is the most fun I ever had with Max.

"You touch Tris or treat her in any way inappropriately I will demote you and put her in charge of you," he threatens.  
"We might like that. A little bit extra in the bedroom is supposed to help keep a relationship alive," I quip, and then I put the phone aside to wait for Max to be done cussing me out.

I really should thank Tris for giving me this unexpected gift. When all is said and done I have to ask her if she wants to play along and help me annoy Max this way. Oh, the possibilities...

Max finally takes a deep breath and I am waiting to hear what else he has to say.  
"Are you still around the phone, Eric?"  
"Yes," I admit.  
"I'll have the tablet delivered to you as soon as I get my hands on one. What else do you need?"  
"Ask the infirmary to give me all medication that Tris might need with an extra week or two added in case she doesn't recover as well as she should. Ask if they want to send someone out in a week's time to do a check up or if they want Amity to do it."  
"Anything else," Max asks, sounding relieved.  
"No, I don't think so. Just make sure I have a way of asking for help if the need arises. Radio might be a good idea," I conclude, and this time we are more agreeable when we hang up on each other.

…

True to his word Max personally delivers the tablet and a bag from the infirmary an hour later.

I was still ignoring Tris and simply worked around her, getting my apartment ready for a few weeks without me prior to Max's arrival and I leave it to him to break the news of our impending departure.  
I can hear her plead with him but I don't interrupt until I hear him go quiet.  
"Max, turn away from Tris and take a deep breath," I instruct before walking out of the kitchen, holding a box with perishable items that either go with us or go to the cafeteria.  
"What," Tris protests. "Max, don't you dare turn your back on me. That's rude! Look me in the eye and tell me you won't abandon me in my hour of need. I will die if I leave the compound with Eric. He is going to kill me. He will chain me to my bed and not let me up for the whole time I will be gone," she complains.  
"I'll only tie you up if you ask me to. Max and I already talked it through and he thinks we don't need me to pack condoms and that you also don't want to play being my superior and boss me around," I repeat my earlier challenge and both gape at me.  
Max throws his hands up in the air.  
"I give up. You two deserve each other and I am out of here. Pack all that you need to take and I will be back with a few members to carry everything to the truck."  
With that Max turns and leaves a still speechless Tris standing in the middle of my living room.  
"Do you need help packing," I ask, and she finally shakes off her stupor and looks at me.  
"I will be fine, but you might want to run to the infirmary and stock up on a few essentials," she demands.  
"Condoms," I smirk at her.  
"If that makes it easier for you to clean up after rubbing one out, sure," Tris retorts, and I feel mighty proud of her that she could get that out with a straight face and without blushing.  
"No, I prefer to do it in the shower, no worries," I grin.  
"Then you will be in charge of cleaning the bathroom daily," she tells me, obviously proud of herself for coming up with that.  
"I have no problem with that, at least I won't get bored with something to do."  
Oh, the look on her face is priceless.  
"What do you need from the infirmary," I ask.  
"Tampons and pads," she tells me, and I know this is a challenge.

I walk over to where Max left the bag from the infirmary and peek in.  
"All taken care of," I tell her and pull out a big box of tampons, holding it up for her to see.  
"Fine," she growls and marches off to her current bedroom.

I grab the tablet and walk back into my bedroom, hooking it up to my computer and downloading the programs I need and a selection of books and movies compatible with them.

Max knocks on our door another hour later and I meet Tris in the living room. We both have two duffels and there is the box with food from my kitchen, and the infirmary bag. Not much, but still more than could go on the train.

I am not sure what to make of his choice of helpers, but I assume he had a reason to ask Four, Hana, Tori, Christina, Zeke and Uriah to give us a hand.  
Tris treats them all like they are the enemy when she realises none of them are here to spring her, but to make sure she gets into the truck.  
To my surprise it is Four that drives us and I am resigning myself to an hour or two of Eric bashing between the two of them. I quickly grab my padded box with all the electronics from my bag and position it at my feet so I have easy access. For the sake of everyone involved I will simply plug my ears, listen to music and ignore those two.

…

I hate to admit how wrong I was. Four seems to have volunteered to drive us so he is able to give Tris an earful about how reckless she has been while being allowed to stare out the windscreen and not look at her.  
I could tell she was fuming and in the end she ran out of excuses which did not sit well with her, especially after Four pointed that little tidbit out to her.  
I was impressed he stuck to his guns and let her have it. He gave her the good honest truth and sometimes that is hard to swallow.  
He did not hold back for my sake either and he did not even blink once when Tris went below the belt and reminded him of his own Abnegation upbringing.  
Did she hope he would shut up because I was there? Tobias Eaton knows I am highly aware of who he used to be before coming to Dauntless - we both have never forgotten each other's darkest secrets.  
Well, he listed off all the things he changed about himself and what he worked on to make sure his upbringing did not interfere with his new life. And he made it more than clear that he regrets having helped coddle her.

Let's just say I see him with new eyes and have to give him more credit than I previously had. Tris, on the other hand, had me extend the list of things to work on. It seems her time in Dauntless has enhanced some of her negative traits...

Thanks to Johanna and our GPS system we headed straight for the cabin and Four helped me escort Tris inside before we went to grab the bags.  
On the second run Four actually took me aside and told me to do whatever was necessary to get Tris back on track. We reached a tentative truce and I was still thinking about it when he left me alone with Tris in this secluded cabin.

…

I am still mad at Tris for doing a runner this morning so I continue to ignore her while I check out the cabin.  
There is a decently sized living room and a nice kitchen with all the facilities needed, a fully stocked pantry with access to a full root cellar and a small bathroom. Upstairs were two bedrooms and a full bathroom. I'll let Tris choose which bedroom she wants, both beds are big enough to hold my size.

I grab the bags and bring them upstairs, leaving them right outside the bathroom. Then I unpack my groceries and make sandwiches for both of us. It's way past lunchtime and Tris has to take more vitamins with each meal.

"Eat," I tell her when I sit down beside her on the large sofa in the living room.  
Without a word she takes her vitamins and digs in.  
"There are two bedrooms upstairs and a full bath. Pick whichever you want and pull your bags in," I tell her when I am finished.  
I am not quite full yet, so I grab the bowl of fruit and bring it over to the small table in front of the sofa.  
"How can you eat this much," Tris finally asks.  
"I don't know. How can you eat so little that you collapse," I return, and she growls.  
"I was busy," she reminds me.  
"It is stupid to take on too much and it is even more so if you are a leader and supposed to be a good example for everyone else," I reply.  
"Are you a good example when you go around threatening everyone who looks at you wrong," she smirks.  
"At least I don't come over as a manipulative brat that doesn't know when to stop."  
"Dauntless don't concede," she throws my own words back at me.  
"There is nothing brave about neglecting to take care of oneself. We train our bodies to be prepared and we do not concede in a fight because it could mean the death of those we swore to protect. Who were you protecting when you decided to work yourself to death and not nourish the body that needs to provide you with the strength to defend those who can't defend themselves?"  
Tris is quiet and I leave it at that.  
I simply grab her plate and start to wash the few dishes we used.

I make myself a coffee and prepare one for Tris without asking first.  
She is still quiet when I set the cup down in front of her and she doesn't comment when I put my padded case on the table and check all the devises over before starting to read a book I began earlier.

"You are right," I suddenly hear, but I decide it is better not to comment just yet.  
"I should have made sure I ate properly..."  
I continue to read.  
"I need to delegate more and not take all the jobs myself," Tris tells me after a few more minutes of silence.

**Tris POV**

Eric continues to ignore me and read his book. I don't really blame him, I have been an awful brat just like he accused me of being.

I never expected to say that Eric has his head screwed on right and that I screwed up instead, but it's God's honest truth. Who knew?  
Eric apparently, and the others saw the light after I ended up in hospital.  
No, that's not right either, I correct myself. All my friends spoke up. Marlene and Christina told me to take better care of myself, to eat and sleep, to delegate. Uriah and Zeke were right there with them and even went as far as to seal me in my office, thinking I would have to take a breather then.  
I found their note and saw the bedding but stubbornly decided to do some paperwork.

Max and Hana must have been at their wits end to ask Eric for help, and Tobias siding with Eric and ignoring any hints towards his past in front of his nemesis really brought the truth home.  
That was a low for me and I regret my behaviour. When we get back I have a lot of amends to make, but for now I have to get Eric to understand that I really understand what they are all saying. It doesn't mean that it will be easy to overcome those habits, but at least I can tell now that I went about things wrong and that is a good start, right?

"How will I be able to learn to delegate when I am stuck here," I finally blurt out my most prominent thought.

"By learning to ask me for help," Eric tells me, once more not looking my way.  
"Right...," I groan, and the ass chuckles.  
"You'll survive."  
"I know that, but you basically told the whole faction to never ask anything of you and now you want me to rely on you to help me."  
"That's not accurate, Tris. The faction asked me to be their leader and that means I am going to ask them to do jobs for the benefit of all of us. I delegate and instruct others on how to do the jobs they get assigned. Just because the members don't get to tell me how to do my job doesn't mean I am not working hard or doing a bad job," Eric explains and I can't hold back the laugh.  
"Are you calling your behaviour throughout my initiation a job well done? You hung Christina over the Chasm because she conceded her first fight ever," I remind him. "You had Four throw knives at Al and then me," I add.  
"Tris," Eric sighs and closes his book. Finally he turns to me and looks at me with surprisingly tired eyes.  
"As a leader I have to make sure we have the right people in the right jobs and that starts with initiation. You need to have the mental strength to push past obstacles and conceding in a fight means you do not have the strength to push yourself further than your body and mind want you to go. If you were the only one standing between an enemy trying to kill the child behind you, would you give up when he starts to overpower you or would you continue until you die trying?"

Well, shit! Eric must see that revelation displayed in my body language and expression because he continues.

"Al is a different topic all together," he starts. "Al was unable to meet a criteria set forth by us to pass initiation. I asked him to pick up his knives like everyone else and he told me he was afraid to do so. This was in stage one, but you know what is in stage two and three now, and this all relates to learning how to cope and manage fear. Al was afraid of getting hurt and it is not uncommon, but he also has to learn to trust. Four knows what he is doing and he would not have hit him had he stood still. Unfortunately, Al never got to learn this lesson because you decided to take his place, calling me a coward and bully in front of everyone. As a leader and person of authority I could not let that stand and Four was a bit misguided when he decided to draw some blood in order to end the lesson a bit early."  
"I know he cut me purposely and told me I should be thanking him," I admit.  
"I told you I would keep my eye on you and I did. I knew you had the potential to become a leader, but I also knew that you still needed to learn a few valuable lessons on how Dauntless works. Max threw that off course when he decided to train you himself and his leniency with you is what brought us here today," Eric concludes, and once more we are both quiet for a little bit while I let everything he told me sink in.

"I don't want to hang people over the chasm," I blurt out. What's up with that today? Maybe I really need to catch up on some sleep? My brain seems to need it, that's for sure.  
"You need to find a way to do it differently then. You are not stupid. If you want to teach them differently, then do it, but run it by one of us first," Eric concedes.  
"Why," I ask dumbly.  
"Because Max invented that method and so far it has worked. If you want to change it then it has to be replaced by something equally effective."  
"Max told you to hang Christina over the Chasm," I gasp.  
"He did not tell me to do it to Christina per se, but the directive was his. See, that's one of the reasons I was so frustrated with him training you with kid gloves. It simply did not make sense for him to suddenly coddle someone who would be in a position of great power but unprepared because of his neglect to properly educate."  
"You are here with me now, teach me," I demand.  
"Are you receptive," Eric asks me suspiciously, and I don't blame him.

"I said I was sorry and that I understand, what else do you need?"  
"Actions speak louder than words," he quips with his rage inducing smirk.  
"Then demand action and let me show you," I challenge.  
"I will, but first we need to work on other things," Eric hedges.  
"Like what," I ask cautiously.  
"The art of relaxation and proper nutrition," is my answer and I already feel dread pooling in my stomach.  
I nod my head and continue to look at Eric expectantly.  
He gives me one last look and the turns back to his electronics, pulling out a type of computer I have never seen before.

There is a large screen and Eric hits a few buttons before getting up and closing the curtains, casting the room into darkness.  
He comes back and retakes his seat next to me, just in time for the screen to start showing ... a movie?

...

Three hours later Eric switches the lights on and I blink a few times to find my way back to reality.

"That was amazing," I gush. "And Yoda is so right with his warnings about fear leading to the dark side. Just look at initiation," I continue, and I swear Eric smiles at me indulgently for a moment before he heads into the kitchen to prepare dinner.  
I am so engrossed in recounting everything I liked about the movie that I do not even realise I am not helping until Eric pushes a full plate into my hands and gently nudges me to take a seat so we can eat.

I keep up a conversation with Eric but I am doing most of the talking which is a first for me and Eric is surprisingly patient.  
"Did you not like the movie," I finally ask. "I can't shut up about it and you just seem to indulge me," I complain.  
"Tris, I watched this movie more than once and I know what happens in the other movies," Eric tells me, and I gape at him.  
"There are more?"  
"Yes," he hedges.  
"Do you have them here," I follow up.  
"Caught fire, did you," he grins at me. A real grin and not a grimace and it throws me off course for a moment.  
"I love it. So, can we watch another one after dinner," I almost beg.  
"You aren't bored?"  
"Why should I be? I love Star Wars," I exclaim, and Eric nods his head.  
"We can watch one more before bed, but you have to take your vitamins now," he reminds me.

This is how we spend the rest of the evening and when the movie is over it is past midnight yet I don't seem to care that I wasted the whole day watching movies. Who knew?

I am dead on my feet and fall asleep immediately, no errand thoughts keeping me awake, no notepads to fill with things I haven't done yet and need to tackle tomorrow. Maybe I am on the right track?

…

The sun hitting my pillow wakes me in the morning and I take a moment to enjoy its warmth, stretching languidly before getting up. I look for the clock I saw hanging on the wall but it is gone and I wonder when Eric took it.  
Did he come in here while I was sleeping?  
That thought is making me feel self conscious and I run my hand through my knotted hair before rubbing the sides of my mouth, trying to see if I can find remnants of dried drool. I come up empty handed and sigh with relief.

I take my time in the bathroom and have the longest shower ever. I feel guilty when I get out because I might have used up all the hot water and Eric will complain if it's all gone.

"Good morning," I greet Eric when I come downstairs.  
He looks up from his book and mumbles a reply.

"Oh my god," I screech when I walk into the kitchen and Eric comes running, ready to slay whatever made me scream.  
"What is it," he demands to know and I point towards the clock.  
"It is one in the afternoon," I moan.  
"And," Eric asks nonplussed.  
"I slept all morning... I wasted half the day," I bemoan.  
"And," Eric asks.  
"And I should have been up doing..." Eric raises his eyebrow and I cringe "...nothing?"  
"Are you feeling better?"  
"No," I whine and then laugh at how I sound. "Ignore me for a moment," I state and Eric silently opens the fridge and pulls a sandwich and a small bottle of orange juice out.  
"Eat and drink, then we'll talk."  
And he leaves me alone, probably returning to his book. Should I join him?  
"I have your vitamins right here," he shouts and I move into the living room.

Eric focuses on his book while I eat. "Let's go for a walk," he suggests when I am done.  
I remind myself to follow his lead and silently comply.  
We walk around outside for two hours and I am enjoying the fresh air, even though my companion is still silent and ... I don't even know the right word. Inattentive doesn't quite cut it because I know he is paying close attention to me. Quietly observing?

"Here!" Eric shoves a manual into my hand when we return and then heads upstairs without another word.  
I stare dumbly at the collection of procedures Max invented for leaders and I am flabbergasted at how much he skipped over when he trained me. How did he expect me to become a fully functioning leader if he never showed me all his standard operating procedures?

When Eric finally materialises to start dinner I ask him exactly this and he shrugs. "We all make bad decisions sometime, some are just affecting people differently than others."  
Eric really doesn't sound like the psychotic leader I thought him to be when I first met him and I am wondering if this is because I was influenced by how other people judged him as well as my own upbringing.  
"Why are you showing me this now," I ask again.  
"Because I am allowed to take charge now and show you how it should have been done from the get go," he replies calmly and I am floored.  
"But..." I protest, yet he interrupts me.  
"What's done is done, Tris. It's in the past and we have to let go. Moving forward is key to getting back home," he teases me and I actually chuckle at that.  
"Yes, Master Yoda," I whimper, and the throws the dish towel at me.  
"You can call me Master whenever you want, Tris," Eric whispers in my ear when he comes to retrieve said towel. I shiver involuntarily.  
"Like when you tie me up on my bed," I blurt out and cover my mouth.  
Eric simply laughs and doesn't comment further for which I am immensely grateful.

Dinner is a simply affair but Eric takes the time to explain the different nutrients from each ingredient he used and how they work together to enhance what they have to offer.

Afterwards we sit on the couch and watch yet another Star Wars movie. I am trying really hard to not cry, but come on, she died giving birth while he turned to the dark side. Eric is kind enough to pretend I am not dabbing my eyes with my sleeves or valiantly trying to keep all snot in my nose.

Once more it is past midnight when I head to bed and I can't believe it has been two days already. Time flies, it seems, and I wonder why while I fall asleep.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Tris POV**

It is still morning when I get up and I count this as an improvement.

Eric is once more reading when I come downstairs and I head into the kitchen for something to eat. I am just opening the fridge when I feel a hot body behind me and see Eric's arm reach past me, pulling a covered container out before his other arm sneaks around me and pulls me back two steps so he can close the fridge.  
"Sit down, everything is ready," Eric instructs and I follow through again.  
I am having oatmeal, fruit and yoghurt, it seems.

My breakfast is gone in no time and I look in surprise at the now empty bowl. That was a fucking huge portion...  
"What time did you get up," I ask Eric who sat with me, silently reading his book once more.  
"Eight."  
"And," I ask.  
Eric simply looks at me like he has no idea what I want to hear.  
"Did you eat? Did you work out? What have you been up to," I ask exasperated.

Eric stares at me for a moment before his expression changes dramatically.  
Oh god, that gleam can't mean anything good.

"I got up, worked out, made our breakfast, ate my breakfast, had a shower, wanked off and cleaned the shower, then I read my book until you got up."  
"Excuse me," I exclaim too fucking loudly for my own ears. "You actually rubbed one out in the shower," I sound incredulous.  
"Yeah," Eric shrugs. "Is that a problem?"  
"Well, yeah," I answer immediately. "What if I had walked in on you? Can't you do that in your bedroom while I am sleeping?"  
"You could have offered to help."  
"Asshole," I growl.  
"Prude," he retorts.  
"I am not," I defend myself.  
"Abnegation, afraid of intimacy, never got anywhere with number boy," Eric lists off and I actually hit him. On the arm, mind you, but a hit nonetheless. "I am not a prude!"  
Eric stares at me for a moment and then he does the unexpected once more. He takes a step back and unbuckles his belt. I stare at it and my eyes don't move when he unbuttons the single button on top of his pants and pulls down the zipper.  
"What are you doing," I manage to breathe out. God, he probably did not even hear me, it was so quiet.  
"I am removing my pants, Prude," Eric explains.  
"Why," I ask dumbly with my eyes still focused on what he is doing.  
Eric's pants drop to the floor and I see that he is wearing black boxer briefs.  
"Because you told me you are not a prude and I prefer to be less dressed when relaxing at home than I have been these past days. You said you are not prudish so I presume you can handle me being comfortable," Eric states and I finally look up at his face.  
He doesn't look like he is joking and I swallow hard when he folds his pants and leaves them on a chair, his pullover following suit.  
"You're hot," I blurt out.  
"Yes, I was sweating," Eric deadpans and I can feel the heat in my face.

I am trying really hard to remember what we talked about before the whole prude - stripping incident. Oh yeah, Eric masturbating... shit! What else?  
"Can I work out with you tomorrow," I finally ask.  
"We'll see," Eric hedges.  
"Why? I won't be able to exercise myself to death, especially with us lacking the usual equipment," I ask exasperated at his insistence on me taking it easy.  
"Let's see how I think you are doing tomorrow morning and that's all I am going to say in this regard," Eric states, and I can tell from his tone of voice he means business.  
"Okay, what am I allowed to do today," I growl in renewed annoyance.  
"You still have to master the art of relaxation," is my answer and I feel like kicking Eric in the shin.  
"I am not stripping!"  
"Didn't ask you to, didn't expect you to want it either."  
"Great!"  
"Fantastic! Are you done Tris?"  
"No, I'd like to sulk a bit more!"  
Eric's face makes me giggle and that turns into a full belly laugh.

"Okay, I am good," I promise when I finally calmed myself down.  
Eric motions for me to go into the living room and I do as asked.  
"Sit down," Eric instructs and then pulls out two slim tablets from his gadget case. "You like Star Wars?"  
"Yes."  
"Good, here." And with that he turns on the tablet and hands me one.  
I look down on the screen and see a Star Wars picture and the word 'loading...'.  
Eric taps a few times when it's done and and I am in a complicated looking menu.  
"What now?"  
"Now we play. I will show you how to navigate around the different options and then we play against each other. I cloned my progress so we are at the same level," Eric explains and then his left arm goes around me and he scoots really close. I can feel the heat from his bare skin where it touches my own clothes. Both of his hands grab the tablet and he proceeds to show me what I need to know over the next twenty minutes.  
"I won't remember all of this right away," I bemoan.  
"Just keep using it and it will come in no time," Eric assures. His arm is still around me and we are both holding onto the tablet in my lap, making my arms lie right on top of his while his rest on my upper thighs. It doesn't feel repulsive which is progress for me. Maybe I am getting used to Eric looking out for me, at least subconsciously I have to know that he means no harm.  
"Let's give it a try," Eric murmurs into my ear and I look up, momentarily startled by what he means before I remember that he is talking about the game and not me getting used to being close to him.  
Eric doesn't back away from me, he stares into my eyes until I nod.  
"Yes, let's see if I can remember anything," I joke, and he slowly retracts his arms and takes his own tablet.  
"Okay, go to the arena and set up your teams," Eric instructs and gets to work on his.

…

It takes me a few turns to get the hang of things and I am cursing up a storm while Eric suns himself in his moment of glory.  
"You just wait," I growl, and he laughs out loud.  
"Can't wait to have a worthy opponent!"  
"I am worthy," I snarl and elbow him in the side.  
Eric looks at me first and then states with an ice cold voice. "Don't do that again."  
I feel my eyes bugging out but then I get my bearings and look him straight in the eye.  
"What? This," I ask and elbow him again.  
Eric slowly puts his tablet down and I feel like running upstairs and locking myself in my bedroom. I don't follow through though, but decide to wait him out.  
Eric's hands stretch and the gently takes the tablet out of my hands, putting it onto the table right beside his.  
This should have clued me in but I don't make the connection in time and before I know it Eric pushes me back with both hands on my chest and his fingers find purchase on my ribs while his torso holds my lower body hostage, effectively preventing me from kicking my way out from beneath him.

I am screaming and screeching but I am not giving up. No, I go in for an attack of my own while I writher on the couch and dig my fingers into his own ribs.  
Shit, nothing really happens. Either he is not ticklish or he is good at suppressing it.

Think, Tris, think... What other body parts are known to be ticklish? Armpits and soles of feet, I remind myself.  
I know I can't reach his feet but I can certainly try his armpits. God, am I really going to put my hands there? Yes!  
My fingers move upwards and I push one hand successfully through while my other tries to grab his hand and stop him from tickling me.  
Eric looks stunned for a moment but then he actually tries to wiggle his way out and away from my hand.  
Yes, success! I do my best to keep my hand where it is and dig in.  
Eric surprises both of us by giving a high squeak and he looks mortified for a moment.

I am laughing so hard I might pee myself soon but I simply can't stop.  
"Shut up," he growls but it doesn't help. Just thinking about how the squeak sounded has me back in stitches and I dig my fingers in again, eliciting another squeak, less pitchy this time.  
Eric's eyes narrow at my smiling face and he leans heavily onto my legs, successfully immobilising me.  
My hand is trapped between his torso and arm and it hurts a bit, to be honest.  
Eric's hands come back with full vigor and I am screeching loudly while still taunting him about how he sounded.  
"You think this is funny," he growls into my ear, his hot breath fanning all over my side.  
"Yes," I giggle, and shriek again when he tickles me some more. "You sounded like a little girl that saw a spider," I laugh.  
"Don't ever talk about it again," Eric whispers darkly.  
"Oh, I will not talk about it," I promise. "I will shout if through the Pit, make a faction wide announcement… Ooh, I know: I will include it in the monthly council briefing. I think we are the next ones in charge," I tease possible exposure and embarrassment.  
"You will stop talking about it right now," Eric demands.  
"You can't make me," I sing.  
Eric doesn't hesitate once. His head moves just a little bit and his mouth lands on mine, pressing down hard.  
I stare at him, probably wide eyed, and he looks back somewhat triumphant.  
Seriously? This is just going to shut me up until he removes his mouth... his mouth on mine. Hmm, will you look at that! No panic attack, no cringing... progress!  
I am so happy with my revelation I mumble against Eric's lips.  
It does feel rather nice to move mine against his and a new thought of repeating this sensation takes precedence in my mind.

Eric, on the other hand, looks stunned. Did he expect a meltdown? I might have a fear of intimacy, but it seems I am immune to him. Suck on that!  
I nip Eric's lip to bring him out of his stupor but it doesn't seem to have the desired effect. His eyes close for a moment and his features soften.  
I nip him again and soothe the sting with my tongue because i feel bad about it.  
Eric moves his body a little bit and suddenly the whole scene feels more intimate than just a few seconds ago. His head aligns perfectly with mine and his legs are in between my now opened ones.  
My tongue is still poking out and this time Eric takes charge, his lips move and he sucks my tongue before pushing his own out and running it around mine and all over my lips.  
It feels really nice so I don't protest. I know what we are doing is something the two of us shouldn't be doing together but I can't find it in me to care.  
Maybe I come home with a few unexpected new skills, I wonder before reminding myself this is a weirdly new side of Eric I keep seeing.

Eric's tongue retreats and I pull mine back in also, but I never cease moving my lips against his and neither does he.  
His weight on top of me brings new sensations to my body, coupled with the almost innocent kisses we share I am wondering why I never did this before.  
You were afraid, a little voice inside my mind tells me.  
Shouldn't I be afraid now? This is Eric after all.  
Instinctively you know that you trust him, he has earned your trust and now you are finally ready to work on your other issues, the voice reassures.  
Why do have those inner dialogues with myself during such a relevant moment? Hello?! First make out session ever?!  
Well, to qualify as making out there should be a little bit more happening.

Oh shut up inner voice, I chant while my body works on instinct.  
My hands move under Eric's shirt and explore the muscles on his his back.  
My hips buck up and seek friction but he doesn't move anything but his mouth. I still feel the effect I have on him though, and it is empowering.  
I can't suppress the moan bubbling up and exploding against his lips and it finally draws out a reaction, though not one I thought of.  
Eric slows the kiss and carefully lifts off of me.  
I try to pull him back to me. A hand on his back and the other up by his neck.  
"Tris, stop," Eric demands and his tone is like an ice cold shower.  
"Sorry," I apologise and try to push past him, hoping to run to the safety of my room and hide there for the next ten or so days.  
Eric seemingly lets me go, but in the last second he grabs my wrist and holds me back. His arm moves around me, his hand splayed on my stomach. He uses this hold and pulls me down, right beside him, on the couch.

…

**Eric POV**

God, I should have rubbed one out! I was only teasing Tris when told her I did it in the shower but you bet I will do that the next time I am in that damned bathroom.

The innocent way Tris reacts to me and her attempts to move things along are turning me on way more than they should. I am rock hard and my boxers are not actually hiding anything. She rubs herself against me, seeking friction, I am sure.  
Oh, that moan... yes, that's... no, no, no... Medusa found another way to incapacitate! Alarm bells ring in my ears and I finally come back to my senses.

"Tris, stop," I demand and the moment reality sinks in for her is glaringly obvious.  
She pushes against me and I willingly make space for her to leave.  
"Sorry," she whispers and that tone of voice cuts me. Maybe I misjudged and she really was into this... with me? No hidden agenda or devious plans to get around people like she did in the past. She said she got it and she wants to work on herself...  
Shit, shit, shit...

I grab her just as she is about to flee and push her down beside me.  
She did not expect this, that's for sure, but now I am not sure how to proceed. Why did I have to follow instinct and not my brain? Oh yeah, because all the blood is still down below the belt.  
I look down towards my dick saluting Tris through the fabric, still locked safely away behind the buttons I do close on my boxers. I mentally thank my ever so proper mother for instilling this habit.  
"Come here," I say and pull her stiff body closer to mine. "I never should have thought you would use your body to try and manipulate me," I state and then cringe when she does.  
"I didn't..." she starts. "I wasn't..." she clearly doesn't know what to say either.  
"I know," I admit. "It was a fleeting thought and as soon as I saw your reaction I knew I was wrong. We really have to work on trusting each other in order to get out of here in a week or two." Maybe she wants to take her time?  
"I realized I trust you," Tris admits and it floors me a bit. "I, uh, my body did not react the way it does with others when they come too close. I kind of concluded that means I subconsciously trusted you enough to go this far."  
"Okay," I breathe out.  
"Okay?" Tris raises her eyebrow at me and then cracks a smile. "You realize that you use that phrase when I do something outrageous and you let it slide... like when I released myself from the infirmary..."  
Well shit!  
"Fine," I groan. "Maybe I let some things slide as well, but I am not as bad as the others," I state and she nods.  
"No, you are the big bad leader who makes sure I toe the line. Thank you!" She means it, I can hear.  
I am quiet and so is she.

"Is kissing off the table," she suddenly asks and her face gets all red.  
I have to think for just a moment.  
"No."  
"Good," she nods her head. "I like the opportunity to progress in more ways than we planned."  
"Tris, I am not here to teach you how to have sex," I remind her.  
"Never say never." The sassy Dauntless is back and the shy Abnegation is locked safely away, it seems.  
"How about we focus on all the other things we actually should be focusing on. If there is a little well deserved treat in the evenings, after a successful day, I promise I will evaluate it on a day by day basis," I offer.  
"So you liked it?"  
I look pointedly towards my crotch and just as expected Tris' eyes follow my line of sight. I hear her gasp and feel the shudder going through her body.  
"I did that?" She sounds really surprised and I groan.  
"Did they not teach you about human reproduction in school?" I thought that was a mixed faction class but thinking back now I am not sure anymore. I just remember sitting in between other Erudite boys...  
"Just because I know what it takes to procreate doesn't mean I automatically think I can turn you on," she mumbles.  
"Tris," I sigh once more. "We are going to be stuck here for a while. Our goal is to make you Dauntless and to show you how to manage day to day operations in the faction without doing it all by yourself. You need to learn the art of taking care of yourself and being more selfish when it comes to what you want. And maybe we need to add a few lessons of valuing yourself. Don't sell yourself short! I liked kissing you and my body reacted to me liking what we were doing. I bet when you think back you will notice that your nipples got hard and you got wet in between your legs. You rubbed yourself against me seeking friction and those parts were coming alive with all the nerves being stimulated." God I sound so clinical. Seems my upbringing comes back to haunt me too? No, I am Dauntless and I embraced the ways of my faction. My upbringing just gives me some tools I can incorporate in how I manage this faction and my personal life.

I pause right then and there. My personal life is not much of a fulfilled life, if I am brutally honest. My reputation gets me side eyes and my intentions are questioned during every step of each social interaction. Maybe I do have some things to work on too if I want to have a social life that meets my standards. Fucking random women when I feel that my hand doesn't do it anymore and staying at home, cooking and reading sounds boring to a Dauntless and more like the personal life of an Erudite.  
Tris looks at me expectantly so I must have missed whatever she said.  
"Sorry, I was just thinking about something. What did you say?"  
She looks at me with surprise and a bit of suspicion but still repeats herself.  
"I was admitting you are right and I am wondering why it has to be you who gets me to this point."  
Ouch, that's not flattering at all.  
"Maybe because I realised that I have some issues to work on as well to become truly Dauntless," I admit.  
Tris laughs loudly, but quiets down when she sees I am serious.  
"You are as hard and unrelenting as they come. Your fighting skills are way above the standard and your ruthlessness is what makes you stand out and have everyone pay attention," she lists off.  
"But how do you know I am just the same when I close the door to my apartment," I ask.  
"Huh?"  
"Your public persona and who you are when your apartment door closes and you are truly alone and out of sight of anyone else. How do those two do in comparison?"  
Tris mulls this over just like I knew she would. She is not one to dismiss these deeper thoughts and she likes to challenge herself, even though she went about it wrong.  
"So what you are saying is that we all have two sides and yes, I do need to work on myself and get rid of those Abnegation traits that hinder my personal growth, but so do you with whatever you grew up with," she asks.  
"Kind of," I grimace. "Maybe it's being secluded with you and reminding you about all those things that still go wrong... I kind of figured that I am not as dauntless as I thought I was. Maybe I could work on some things as well."  
"Like what?" I can tell she is excited to know she is not alone and maybe that's what I need as well?  
"Making some real interpersonal connections and letting people see who I really am when I am not working."  
"Well, you can practice by trying to show me who you really are and I can work on physical contact?"  
"I am not having sex with you for the sake of this social project," reaffirm my previous statement.  
"Maybe you will want to have sex because we have chemistry," Tris challenges. "You can say whatever you want right now, Eric, but you still don't treat me like everyone else and you seem to have my best interest in mind or else you would have simply accepted my advances and taken me right here on that couch."  
"Okay," I say and she groans dramatically. "Okay, we have some bonding time and I am not against showing you the ropes, but keep in mind I am human and I don't know what will happen if one of us developes feelings. I never did more than fuck and walk away," I warn.  
"I never did anything," she challenges. "I, for once, am willing to take that risk. Would it really be bad to like me in a more romantic way?"  
"I have never done romance," I admit.  
"Then we both have enough time to learn and experiment," Tris concludes.  
"How did we end up with this discussion," I ask a rhetoric question yet she answers.  
"Because I decided to voice my frustration at losing the game by elbowing you."  
I have nothing to say and Tris seems to contemplate the whole morning as well.

My stomach growls and she laughs. "Can I help make lunch," she asks sweetly.  
"Yeah, come on," I encourage and offer my hand to pull her up.  
My hard on is mostly gone but I still see Tris trying to discreetly check it all out.  
I don't now what made me do it but I shake my ass while I walk ahead of her into the kitchen, her laughter following me and making my steps feel lighter.

…

I show Tris how to make a simple rice dish with a ton of fresh vegetables and explain their names and benefits while I cook. Lunch goes over quickly and we don't scratch the topic of sex this time but my mind is still on it, making me notice Tris' attributes more and more. Since when does she have breasts? And I think she is a bit taller than she was during initiation. She was barely sixteen at that time, I remind myself. It would be natural to mature afterwards and it seems that's what she did. Her age could be another explanation as to why she was so afraid of intimacy during stage two and three. Sex was right in front of her no matter where she went in Dauntless and she was inexperienced and sheltered before transferring.  
I find myself looking at her more and more. Not just looking at her because we are talking but looking in an 'I am actually quite interested in you' kind of way.

After lunch we go for another walk, keeping a respectable distance between us and it is bugging me a bit that she decides to stay clear of me. Every time I step a little closer in her direction she slowly moves further towards the other side.

When we return I excuse myself to take another shower while Tris opts to read a book.  
I grab a fresh set of clothes and start the water, stripping while it heats.  
Once the steam rises I step beneath the spray and waste no time rinsing off the sweat and dust from being outdoors for hours.

Once I am clean I squirt a generous amount of soap into my hands and rub them together to create a nice lather. Then I grab my dick and go to town. I am thinking back to this morning, how Tris smiled at me. How she smelled and felt when I stood behind her at the fridge and how she felt underneath me. Her lips meeting mine, her teeth nipping my lips and her tongue soothing the sting. How she was bucking her hips and grabbing my ass to pull me closer. How her breasts were straining against her shirt and how small her waist felt in between my hands. She could do with a little bit more meat on her ribs but still, she felt amazing pressed against me.  
I think about what she asked me for. Could I have sex with her just for the sake of teaching her?  
How would her naked body look like sprawled on my sheets. How would she taste when I bend my head down in between her legs. What sounds would she make while I fuck her? Would she moan like she did earlier. Would she groan my name? Would she shout, scream and curse? She would be so tight! Nobody ever touched her intimately. I doubt she ever fingered herself. She would be like a hot, wet glove sucking tightly on my dick...  
I moan loudly, unable to suppress it and come all over the shower tiles.  
God, I hope she didn't hear me, I think just as I hear her footsteps running up the stairs and then there is a knock on the bathroom door.  
"Are you okay, Eric? Did you hurt yourself," she asks, sounding worried.  
"I am good," I shout back as loud as I can. I feel good, but also slightly exhausted.  
"Are you sure," she double checks, the sincerity clear in her voice. Either she has no idea what I just did or she is playing oblivious for my sake.  
"I will be right out. I just worked out some tensions, that's all," I shout back and cringe at how that sounded.  
"Okay..."  
I don't hear her footsteps retreating but she doesn't say anything else so I assume she left.  
I rinse off quickly and make sure I left no evidence behind.  
A quick rub with the towel and I am able to put my clothes on.

I drop everything in the laundry basket in my room and notice how it is starting to fill up. We'll have to see about doing laundry soon.

Tris is back in the living room when I get downstairs and her face is burrowed behind the e-reader I gave her. She doesn't make eye contact and ignores my obvious presence.  
"What are you reading,' I ask, pulling the book right out her hands.  
She is blushing and that fact clues me in before I even read the first line.  
"Is that porn," I ask incredulously.  
"I don't know if you would call it that but it is definitely steamy. You have good taste in books," she compliments.  
"I picked some random books that sounded like something chicks would like," I defend myself. "I certainly did not mean to give you gay porn to read," I add.  
"It is an easy read and I don't mind," she explains and this time I don't know if she is honest or not. Doesn't matter, I decide.  
"You hungry," I ask and she nods.  
"Stay here and read a bit more, I will throw something together real quick and maybe we can watch another movie," I offer.  
"Sounds good."

I hurry into the kitchen and quickly grill some sandwiches. Ham and cheese is always nicer when hot and I cut some fruit and veg for us to nibble on as a side and for during the movie.  
I can't remember how much Tris drank today so I fill two tall glasses of water for both of us. All goes on a tray and I walk back into the living room just in time to see a red cheeked Tris sitting rather stiffly with tightly crossed legs while her nipples stand at attention.  
"The book still good," I ask casually while I put the tray down and take a seat a little too close to her. She doesn't budge and I am taking it all in a stride, changing my center of gravity just enough to have her slide towards me until she is pressed into my side.  
I grab a sandwich and throw my arm around her, offering her the first bite.  
She looks up at me like she is not sure what I am doing. Hell, I am not exactly sure what I am hoping to achieve myself.  
I gently push the sandwich against her lips and she opens her mouth and takes a small bite. I smile at her and take a rather large bite myself.  
Neither one of us is ceasing eye contact, her book long forgotten, and I push the sandwich back up towards her lips when she swallows. She bites where I took a chunk out of the bread and continues to stare at me while she chews and swallows.  
There is just a little bit of cheese stuck at the corner of her mouth and I don't think twice before I swipe it away with my thumb. I leave my hand right there and Tris leans sideways, nuzzling her cheek against my fingers and palm.  
Her skin is baby soft and I rub my roughened tips against her skin a few more times before I move the sandwich back to my own mouth.

Once the sandwich is done Tris grabs the next one and proceeds in just the same way I did. We share bites out of the same sandwich, staring into each other's eyes until all four of them are gone.

"Movie," I suggest with a rougher than usual voice.  
Tris nods while I grab my drink and down the whole glass at once.  
"You need to drink more," I instruct and push the glass closer to where she is sitting while I grab the computer and set everything up.  
I don't wait for her to finish before I cast the room into darkness and start the movie.  
It is another Star Wars.  
Tris smiles brightly, even visible in the dim light of the screen, and I preen within.  
Once more I pull her close, my arm around her shoulder, my hand close to the underside of her breast.

Tris cuddles closer into my side and my arm follows her movements, pulling her tightly into me.  
As I watched the movie before, I pay closer attention to her reactions and I especially enjoy those moments where she buries her face in my armpit before turning back to the screen.  
Both our hands wander and Tris ends up with one hand on my chest and the other on my thigh, rubbing either with her thumb or gentle circles with all her fingers positioned quite close to the promised land.  
My dick perks up every time she comes close but never close enough to make actual contact.

I am not much better, admittedly, and I run my fingers up and down her side, scraping the side of her breast ever so often. My other hand found its way to her knee and I have a good hold onto her, hitching her leg a bit over mine and securing her position.

When the screen goes dark I can't take it anymore and it seems neither can she. Two hours and five minutes of foreplay!

Her lips meet mine halfway, like as if the credits starting was our joint signal to finally give in to temptation.  
My hand is still on Tris' knee and I pull it up higher, forcing her to follow my guide and she ends up straddling me on that couch.  
My poor dick has been begging for attention since Tris moved her hand closer halfway through the movie and he has been straining against my boxers for all it's worth.  
Her position is absolutely perfect and her pussy and my dick are in direct contact, well, through all the fabric. Hers, not mine. A layer of cotton is not much of a barrier, jeans are a totally different ballgame though and I am feeling pity that she did not change into sweatpants. She does have sweatpants, doesn't she? Oh yes, those nice tight black ones she was wearing the morning she went behind my back and sneaked into the office...

Tris rises to her knees to reach my lips easier and I finally sit straight, releasing the pressure on my back from being bent down towards her for the last three hours.  
I grab a handful of ass and a handful of hair and trace the seam of her lips with my tongue. She moans and groans and finally opens her lips wide enough for me to push my tongue into her mouth. Tris stills for a few seconds and then her tongue meets mine for an erotic dance.

With Tris it's never enough, it seems, and I happily move along when she starts rubbing herself against my erection like a cat in heat. Meow...  
Languid up and down movements by her pelvis are followed by smaller circles right over the tip of my dick. The way she tilts her hips makes me assume her clit is getting in on the action.

Tris' sounds of pleasure morph into those of frustration and I know exactly what is wrong. My hands move to the waistband of her jeans and I push my fingers inside, trailing them towards the front where her zipper is.  
We never cease the kiss when she moves backwards to give my hands more space to work and when I get her pants open I push them down as far as I can towards her knees.  
I am not pushing my luck but simply guide her thin cotton covered core back to where my cock is ready and waiting for her.

"Fuck yes," I moan against her lips and it comes out a bit garbled with my tongue still inside her mouth.  
Tris dislodges our lips and leans backwards, holding onto my neck with one hand, pulling my lips down towards her cotton covered tits.  
I suck at the pebbles through the fabric and she moans loudly, pulling some hair at the nape of my neck.  
I move back upwards, kissing her shoulder and collarbone before I gently suck my way up her neck until I reach the earlobe, which I bite.  
Tris gasps and pushes hard against me.  
I try my best to guide her, making sure I hit her clit most of the time.  
"What do you want," I ask her breathlessly.  
"I don't know," she whines. "I need... you. You know what I need, help me," she pleads and I am floored. We went from nothing to this in a day. This is a big commitment and show of trust from her.  
"Come here," I instruct and open my arms wide. She comes to me immediately and I carefully turn my torso and sink onto the couch with her on top of me.  
I pull my foot up and push her pants down as far as I can with Tris jumping into action and helping me bring them past her feet.  
I pull her close immediately and hope she has no second thoughts.  
Her lips meet my waiting ones and I know she is still here, willing and needy.  
I guide her so she is right on top where she needs to be. Her wet, panty covered core right over where my dick is leaving it's own wet marks on the fabric of my cotton boxers.  
I show Tris how to rub herself along the length of my erection and then I lean back and let her continue however she wants. This is for her, she needs to explore, gain confidence and instill a good image of her body. I, for once, am really glad I masturbated or this would be over before she is ready to succumb.  
"You look amazing, Tris. Do what feels good but make sure to work that clit, baby."  
Yes, I can be a gentleman. See, I did not say hump me, fuck me, show me those lovely tits or anything else derogatory.  
Why would I say that anyway? She might have been a pain in the ass but she is MY pain in the ass for now and if things go well she might be mine for a while.  
I focus on how that feels, the idea of having Tris share my actual life with me when we get back to Dauntless and it makes me feel good. That's a good sign, let's hope she agrees when all is said and done here.

I wasn't paying a lot of attention to Tris, which is what I wanted to happen, but I am annoyed my deep thinking made me miss seeing her orgasm. Well, shit. I will have to repeat this tomorrow and make sure I get a closer look this time.

It is obvious Tris doesn't know what to do with herself now and I pull her down into a kiss, soft, soothing and comforting, while I rub her back.  
She cuddles into me and her body relaxes. Progress!

We spend a few more minutes lying on the couch like that and while I am getting sleepy I notice she, too, is feeling heavier.  
"Let's get you to bed," I murmur in her ear and I can feel her nod. Then she squeaks when I get up with her in my arms and carry her upstairs. I let her down outside her bedroom door and kiss her softly. "Goodnight."

I head back downstairs to clean up real quick and I hear her go into the bathroom. She is still in there when I am done and I decide to wait outside the door. It doesn't take long before she emerges and I whistle lowly. She looks really good in those pajama shorts and t-shirt and I know I will encourage her to join me in wearing comfy clothes around the house.  
"Goodnight," I wish again and she blushes but replies in kind.

What a day, I think to myself as I head to bed, alone for now.

… **  
** **  
**

**Tris POV**

I wake up with the sun shining into my bedroom but I can tell it is not as late as the other days. I stretch languidly and feel really refreshed.  
"Oh my fucking god," I gasp and then turn towards the door, hoping for all its worth Eric didn't hear my little outburst.

Everything that happened yesterday comes flooding back into my mind. The awesome kissing, the movie and how we were making out. Eric is his boxer shorts and me in my underpants, rubbing against his erection.  
I fan myself just thinking about it.  
Was he serious when he said we should work on building a relationship? Was he just horny and wanted to get off?  
I dismiss that last one immediately. I know what he did in the shower and I know he did not come last night. He let me do what I needed to orgasm and then he simply cuddled me. Eric Coulter, Dauntless' sociopathic leader extraordinaire, was absolutely fine with just cuddling me and helping me digest that I used his body to get myself to orgasm. Fuck, he offered his body up on a silver tray and never asked for anything in return. This fact alone shows me how wrong we all got him in the past and it makes getting out of bed so much easier. My heart is light and I am looking forward to spending time with him, getting to know the real him because that's what he is with me. Real, unfiltered and not playing a role for the faction.

With all this cleared in my mind I fly through my bathroom routine and decide to take a page out of his book and keep my comfy pjs on.

It seems I picked the perfect time to arrive in the living room. Eric is doing some interesting looking workout. His movements are slow and precise and I can see his whole body is getting a workout by the way his muscles move along his form.  
Yummy!

I am not interrupting him but quickly walk into the kitchen to grab some fruit and then I get comfortable in the chair that allows me to see what else he is doing.

Eric finishes his workout and comes into the kitchen to grab a glass of water. He drains the whole thing and comes over to me. He looks a bit unsure when he bends towards me but when I raise my head and stretch my neck to meet him halfway he doesn't hesitate to kiss me quickly on the lips.

"Good morning," he greets me in a sexy, still sleep roughened, voice.  
"It is," I smirk and eye him.  
"Tease," he chuckles and takes the seat beside me, grabbing an apple for himself.

"What's on our agenda for today," I ask when we are done with our breakfast.  
"There are a few choices. We could go for a walk, work in the garden or play the game again," he smirks at the last one and I barely hold my tongue in my mouth.  
"I think I would like to stretch my legs first and can we garden after lunch? Maybe we can add a light workout," I ask carefully.  
"The first two sound good to me, we will see about the workout," he hedges. Because he sees my face, he quickly explains his reasoning and I am grateful he does because I was imagining things differently. "I would like to know the results of your blood tests before we start working out together. Amity will be here sometime tomorrow and if they are happy then we will start immediately," he promises and I am so excited, I jump onto his lap and give him a proper kiss and hug.

Eric doesn't extend the kiss but helps me up and we go upstairs to get ready.

Just as expected, the walk is refreshing and a good workout for my muscles. The unexpected bonus is Eric holding my hand while we walk. I keep glancing at our joined fingers and I can see him doing the same. Baby steps for both of us...

Lunch is another simple affair yet nothing like Abnegation would eat. Eric knows his way around food and even though his dishes don't take longer, nor contain many ingredients, they are filled with a lot of nutrients designed to keep us healthy and vitamins I was apparently lacking. Go figure.

After lunch we check out the garden. It is big and I can see where the Amity left vegetables and fruit able to fend for themselves but there are also things that need some looking after and we spend a good few hours plotting around the yard, each of us doing their own thing. Eric is more maintenance while I take on the role of a gardener.

A few hours later we are ready to head back inside. I am sore and covered in dust but I feel more alive than any other time I can remember.  
Eric looks at me and then down himself and grins beautifully. Oh god, I am getting sappy.  
"Wait here," he instructs and runs upstairs. I can hear the shower turn on and grumble at him having the first shower.  
Not sure what I should do with my time now that I can't sit down on the clean couch with my dusty pants I take our bounty into the kitchen and get a headstart on cleaning the fruit and veg we harvested.

"I'll take over, go and relax," Eric whispers into my ear from behind me and kisses the crown of my head, probably the only part that's not covered in sweat and dust. "Take your book with you and I will call when dinner is ready," he promises, and I am too stunned to ask what he is talking about.  
I grab my pjs and fresh towels before heading into the bathroom and stop in my tracks when I pass through the door.  
"What..." I gasp and then chuckle. I know what I am seeing but I am still amazed that Eric decided to prepare me my very first bath. He couldn't have known that but the fact alone, that he prepared a steaming hot bath full of bubbles with a folded towel to rest my head on, all ready to go, takes my breath away. I feel ashamed of how I treated him in the past and judged him firstly by how others spoke about him and then I kept repeating the image he gave during initiation. Well shit!

I am giddy when I run back to grab my book and an extra towel, and when I sink into the hot water I am moaning in pleasure. This is pure heaven and I already feel more relaxed than I have been, well, ever?

While I soak, I contemplate everything that led to this very moment.  
Growing up Abnegation to parents from Erudite and Dauntless. Transferring and surviving training as an initiate and then my apparently light version of training provided by Max. Why do people think I need to be coddled? Tobias did the same and that's one of the reasons we never worked out. We grew up the same and we still feel the connection because of this, but with me, everyone seems to avoid conflict and I used it to my advantage, shamelessly, I admit.  
I ruled the faction by pouting and manipulating them. Eric's method was so much more successful because he forced them to work and do things themselves. I kept thinking I had to do things myself and Eric is right, I don't know how to relax.  
In hindsight I know I wasn't sleeping the proper amount to keep me healthy. I was skipping meals, I was burning the candle on both ends and when my friends tried to intervene, first with gentle hints and nudges and then with brutal honesty, I ignored them, thinking I knew best.  
The dynamics will have to change when I get back and there are a ton of apologies and mea culpas I have to own up to.

The prospect of working with Eric is not daunting anymore but something I am looking forward to.

Then something else pops into my mind and I am stunned. Is he my boyfriend? Am I his girlfriend? Did we agree to date or not? It all seems a bit fuzzy and I get to thinking about how I orgasmed last night. How solid his erection was and how good it felt to rub myself against him.

God, the things I was willing to do at that moment. I knew that had it been necessary to remove that last layer and give him my virginity in order to orgasm I would have done it without thinking twice. Luckily Eric made it easy and normal? Well, he certainly let me come but never took anything for himself. Did he not like it? No, he did! He was hard, moaning and groaning and just as involved as I was. Why did he not come?  
Because he gave me a gift, I realise, because he decided to be selfless.

I decide to read a bit because thinking about last night was getting to me and I wanted to be done with my bath when Eric had dinner ready.

The book was captivating and I was so engrossed, I never heard Eric walk up the stairs. The knock on the bathroom door startled me a bit but Eric never mentioned that he heard the squeak.

I got ready quickly and went downstairs, my hair still in a towel.

Dinner was a simple affair. Eric used some of the fresh vegetables to make an omelette loaded to the brink of bursting and a side salad. Absolutely divine!  
Afterwards he sat me down and we discussed Dauntless procedures that I never learned about.  
To my utter dismay we did not kiss and touching was at a bare minimum.  
I went to bed questioning if he was already getting bored or if I had done anything wrong.

…

**Eric POV**

The new day has me up at dawn. I quickly peek into Tris' room and find her sound asleep. Good, she needs to catch up and we stayed up late again.

Once downstairs, I quickly check for any messages that might have come through over night.  
Max and I decided to not rely on radios alone but to have an email backup. He managed to get me a computer with a rural connection setup and I didn't ask questions as to who he had to bribe to get it. It just screamed Erudite and I appreciated the effort enough to stay mum.

Tris' check-up will be done by Amity and the results immediately transferred to Dauntless who will get back to us within minutes about her treatment - the wonders of technology working to our advantage.

Looking outside I see it's going to be a nice day and I feel like stretching my legs properly. I write a quick note for Tris so she knows I went for a run and then I am off.  
It is a bit cold, at first, but soon my body gets into the workout and I don't feel anything but the pleasant burn in my muscles.  
I am not sure how long I have been running for but it must have been at least an hour, judging by the sun.

I slowly jog back and walk the last quarter mile to cool down.  
When I reach the house I can easily see that Tris is awake. Her bedroom window is wide open and there is the smell of a cooked breakfast in the air.

I find her checking the stove and wait for her to be a safe distance to anything hurtful, should I spook her, before I clear my throat.  
As expected she spins around and clutches a hand to her chest until she realizes it it me she is facing.  
I walk two steps closer and eye her. She still looks tired but I can't help the next sentence escaping my lips.  
"Good morning, beautiful," I croon and she eyes me wearily.  
"Is it," she asks tentatively.  
"It is now," I state and steal a quick kiss. "Do I have time to shower," I ask, nodding my head towards the stove.

Tris shakes herself and suddenly turns around to the stove with a cry of alarm.  
"Go," she urges while attending the food that looks just the right amount of crispy. "I will keep it warm for you," she promises and I stride over to give her one more kiss to tide me over until I am back.

I hurry through my shower and dress in my comfy boxers and a t-shirt, no need to be modest.  
Tris waited with her own breakfast and it feels nice to know that she wants to share her meal and time with me.

"Amity will come sometime today to check you over and take some blood samples. Hector will review the results and get back to us. Depending on his evaluation and recommendation we will do some light exercises tomorrow and increase the intensity from there," I offer and she gives me a sheepish smile. "You okay," I ask gently.

"Yeah, it just feels weird to be coddled like a baby despite me seeing the light," she mutters.  
"We will get there but people need time before they are convinced it really hit home and you are not doing it to lull us into a false sense of security. We want you to be healthy and it will take some time before they trust you again regarding the choices you make." I pause because it is not easy to say the next part but she has to understand. "Us trying to be in a relationship is not going to help. They will definitely question your sanity in that regard," I tease but she looks at me sadly. "What," I ask, careful to not let any intonation show how I really feel about that fact.

"Are we trying to be in a relationship or are we in a relationship," she asks, eyeing me carefully.  
Well shit! I rub my hand over my neck and then look her right in the eyes.  
"From my side it is a relationship but I don't want to push. If you are not there or have second thoughts you have to tell me."  
I hate feeling this insecure but I told her the truth when I said I don't do interpersonal relationships well and that I have never been in one before.

Tris pushes her chair back and comes over to me, the two steps that are separating us, and squeezes herself between my chest and the table.  
I quickly push my own chair back and hug her to me before her hand sneaks up to my neck and pulls my face to hers, puckering her lips and waiting for me to start the kiss she wants to happen.  
I oblige, happy to know what to do this time, and we get distracted until the sound of an approaching engine can't be ignored.

"We will continue this later," I offer and she nods.  
"Showtime," she chuckles and slowly lifts herself off me.  
I am thankful for her choice because my hard on is painful. Think about something disgusting, something to make it go away... Uriah and Zeke pulling a prank? Not working... Tris' fear of intimacy? Shit, now I keep thinking about how she lets me touch her! What else? I focus on my own fear landscape and lo and behold, I am shrinking in no time. The little guy is hiding by the time we both open the door to greet Johanna and the two Amity medics she accompanied.

After the initial greeting, thanking Johanna for her hospitality and the offering of refreshments I leave them alone and go for a stroll around the garden.  
I would love to stay inside but it would not be appropriate and I want Tris to feel like she can talk about anything she wants without being worried about me overhearing or judging.  
The doctor and nurse are the first ones to leave the house and chirpily inform me that Johanna is having another chat with Tris while waiting for the tests to be re-evaluated by Dauntless. They are allowed to tell me that Tris' readings are improving but she has to continue nurturing her body before she will be at a normal level again.

It takes a while before Johanna leaves the house with Tris bringing her to the car. I join them when I see Tris motion for me to come over. She takes me hand without hesitation and turns back to Johanna who eyes me with undisguised curiosity.  
She seems to find what she was looking for because she nods her head and continues to talk to Tris about random things related to gardening.

When it's time for the actual farewell Johanna gives me her customary hug and whispers so lowly only I can hear her. "I hope your reputation is strong enough to weather the storm when you go back to Dauntless. Always put her needs before yours and you will do well," she promises me and for once I am hopeful that her good spirit will carry forward to reality.

We wave her off and Tris turns around to burrow her face into my chest and hug me something fierce.  
"Wanna talk about it," I ask.  
"The results are not as good as I hoped for," she admits.  
"But they are not bad," I hedge.  
"No, come and have a look."  
She takes my hand and drags me inside to the tablet that Johanna left behind. There is her actual blood test report and Hector wrote his personal analysis of what should happen next.  
Her iron levels are still low and he wants us to crank up her intake naturally where possible. Light workout for the next couple of days and then a slow increase. Plenty of sunshine and fresh air are another recommendation with the cheeky side note that he doubts that's an issue for us at the moment.  
A bottom note makes me look at Tris questioningly and she looks away from me with a red face.  
I gently walk around her and bend my knees so I am more at her eye level.  
"There might be some topics that you feel are embarrassing to share with me but necessary to talk about in a relationship. I will not judge you! You trusted me this far, trust me some more," I plead and she makes eye contact this time.  
"I just feel weird knowing that he knows what we might be up to but Johanna thought it was necessary to ask," Tris admits and cringes when she mentions Johanna. "I ended up talking to her about everything," Tris continues and I don't blame her one bit.  
It is widely known that females can talk better to someone of their own gender and those will be the first they seek advice from.  
"So, no unprotected sex," I grin at her, making sure I am exaggerating. I get the expected results, a grin and chuckle.  
"Until Hector is happy with my test results and has given me a new shot," Tris acknowledges the elephant she put in the room.  
"That's okay," I soothe. "We are not planning on rushing things and it will be wise to actually work on us working together in day to day activities."  
"But I like what we do," she whines and I kiss her nose.  
"Nobody said we have to stop. This is a great reward for being patient with yourself and not pushing your body too far too soon."  
"You were planning on rewarding me with sex," she sounds outraged.  
"No, it was more the idea of an incentive," I hedge and she slaps my chest, hard.  
"Semantics," she accuses and we both know she is right even if I don't admit it out loud.

"What would you like to eat for lunch," I ask in order to change the topic.  
"Sausage," Tris states and I almost choke. Did she just ... was that a double entendres?  
"You can have sausage any time," I croon and her cheeks redden. Oh yeah, she meant to tease. I can work with that.  
I pull her into my arms and, while I kiss her, I walk her back into the kitchen, lifting her up to sit on the counter and then I step in between her open legs. She hooks her feet behind me and I have to admit, this is the perfect height. Something I will have to keep in mind for another day.

I slow the assault on her body and finish off with a few gentle kisses to the side of her neck before I step to the fridge and pull out the requested sausages.  
While they are under the grill I push the ingredients for a salad towards Tris and get to work on the potatoes I boiled yesterday.  
We are done a little bit before the sausages and I lift Tris back up on the counter and step into her waiting arms.  
She is more adventurous every time we are getting together but I have to constantly remind myself that we need to follow her body's guide.  
As long as Tris is happy to proceed I will not stop unless it involves actual penetration. I made some promises to myself and I am keen to keep them.

The timer brings us back to the reality of lunch being ready and I am delighted when Tris pulls her chair so close we are touching almost everywhere.  
I hug her to me quickly and then we both turn our attention to our meal, eager to be done and have some fun during the afternoon.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Tris POV**

It has been seven days! Seven fucking days! Seven days of seeing Eric walk around the house in his boxers and t-shirt. Seven days of Eric doing his morning workout in just some training shorts right in my line of view. Seven extremely long days where I am slowly reintroduced to the world of workouts and exercise.  
Also seven days of going to bed satisfied yet frustrated because Eric was only letting me use his body to achieve an orgasm for myself, never requesting anything in return and declining any offers I give to help him.  
I know he had to relieve the stress some other time. I still suspect his showers are filled with wanking off but I am in no position to demand he stops and lets me help instead. No, the ass had to go and tell me he wants to prove to himself and me that he is serious and that he is in this because of me and not the sex we will eventually have.  
He thinks we need to be a couple first and foremost and that sex should not cloud our minds when it comes to us deciding that we are both happy to be together.  
I understand but I am still annoyed and frustrated.  
Sex is not everything, but if you never had it and want it is is still a different thing to knowing what you are talking about and not missing it.  
Maybe I am unfair but I never said I can overcome my own bad habits in the blink of an eye.

Another day dawns early and I eagerly walk to my window to wait for Eric to return from his morning run. The backdrop of trees illuminated by the early morning sun makes me feel like swooning every time he emerges from the thick forrest.

Today Amity will be back to check up on me and I am hoping for better results than last time. Hell, I know they will be better but I need to be able to show it to everyone else too.  
I am sleeping better and without interruption. My energy levels are at an all time high and even the reduced workouts made my muscles work smoothly once more.

There he comes... yummy! I love watching Eric's muscles contract with every step he takes, how his skin shimmers in the light that turns his sweat into a mesmerising shine. His face is as relaxed as it can be and he just looks extremely happy and content. I hope I get to see this every day for the rest of my life. Here is to hoping that returning to Dauntless won't take away the man I started falling hard for.

Eric waves up to my window without looking and I chuckle at his antics. He knows that I am here, waiting and watching.  
I hear his heavy footsteps on the stairs and he doesn't hesitate before entering my bedroom. He always makes sure he keeps his sweat soaked self away when he steals a kiss and whistles a merry tune when he heads into his shower.

Tomorrow, I tell myself. Tomorrow I will walk in and join him for his shower!  
I've waited long enough and Max will be here to take us back the day after.

I make my way downstairs, ignoring the sounds that tempt me to just throw open the damned door and offer him a hand. I resist and arrive in the kitchen, intent on making breakfast.  
I learned a lot from Eric and I can even use herbs and spices to enhance any dish I create.

…

"Something smells good." Eric runs his nose up my neck and I shiver.  
"Indeed," I agree and turn around to burrow my nose as close to his throat as I can. Eric is kind enough to help me out and lift me up onto the counter. Our favorite positions to be in the kitchen.  
"You sure," he asks while stepping in between my welcoming legs.  
"Absolutely," I reassure and close my legs, moaning at the delight of feeling him this close to me. His choice of dress gives me a great feel of what lies beneath and even if he hasn't let me see it directly I have felt him many times. He is more than happy to see me and I am wondering if the sounds from the bathroom were not what I thought they were. How soon can you have another erection after orgasm? Isn't there a recovery time for men? Everyone else keeps complaining about this fact so maybe I was wrong or Eric is the exception to the rule? What would the chances be?

Eric rubs himself a few more times against me, getting me all hot and bothered before he pulls back with an unreadable face.  
"Let's eat before they come," he suggests and helps me down before grabbing two plates while I get the juice from the fridge.

Maybe he was right to call an end to our antics. We are not quite done with breakfast when we hear the sound of an approaching engine and the tell tale crunch of tires.

We greet them at the door and I am delighted to see Johanna came again. I have so many questions and maybe she can help me out a bit once more...

Once more Eric leaves the house while the doctor and nurse conduct their tests. While we wait for the results Johanna gives me some encouraging looks.  
Uh, not yet!  
The medical device beeps and a copy is sent to Dauntless while I get to have a side by side look on the current results versus last week's. They all improved and I am certain Hector will set me free.

Jane and Oscar leave the house to enjoy the sunshine from the bench beside the front door while Johanna stays with me to await Hector's verdict.

"How are things," Johanna asks and I know she gives me the choice of how broadly I want to take the question.  
"I want to have sex," I blurt out and she chuckles. "I mean I want Eric to stop being a gentleman and accept that we are in a good enough place to know it's not just about sex," I explain.  
Johanna nods. "He knows about your fear and he knows he is not well liked by your friends. It is expected that he is cautious and trying to find a balance between his wants and your presumed needs. Talk to him, Tris. Sometimes it is as easy as putting your cards on the table."  
"That easy," I tease.  
"Being honest is never easy but necessary. The only time in a relationship that you skip honesty for a small fib is either to surprise your spouse or to ease them into an uncomfortable truth."  
I look at her questioningly.

"You need bath!" – "Are you saying I stink?!" – "Honey, it is not that you stink, but you look like you would love a good soak in the tub to make you feel better."  
I nod.  
"I know you have a lot on your plate and that you are really busy at work but would you mind spending some time with the kids so I can clear my mind?"  
"You're a genius," I compliment and she bows dramatically.  
"When you spend as much time as I do guiding members of your faction you learn how to get what you want and be nice about it. What do you think would happen if I told my husband I am sick and tired of him hiding at work and that it's his turn to look after the kids?" She looks at my face and bursts out into laughter. "Exactly!"

"So I just tell him to strip and let me explore," I ask.  
"You can tell him you would like to broaden your horizon, learn something new. The Erudite in him will understand, you just have to make sure he doesn't see it as an abuse of his power over you. You are his charge and he doesn't want any bad light on what you two created. If it is a choice between possibly cheapening what you have and satisfying your need for physical closeness; you need to agree on the same path or you are doomed to fail," Johanna counsels and I groan.  
"Damned if I do, damned if I don't," I ask.  
"Something like that," she chuckles.  
"Not fair," I moan.  
"Life never is," she states wisely.  
"Argh," I groan.

The tablet beeps and just as expected Hector gives the thumbs up I expected. This means Max will be here in two days and I have to sit down with Eric and really hash it all out. I can feel the blush creeping up just thinking about it.

"Let's go and include Eric," Johanna suggests, nodding towards the tablet in my hands.  
"Yes, let's," I agree and walk ahead towards the front door.

Eric is already waiting outside and gives me a tentative smile when he sees my face.  
"All good," I announce and he smiles.  
"Thank you," he addresses Jane, Oscar and Johanna.

...

We don't spend much more time chatting and soon they are back in the truck and on their way back to the Amity compound.

I look at Eric and decide to follow Johanna's advice. No time like the present, huh?  
"Max will be here in two days to pick us up," I throw the first card down. Here is the timeline we are working with, Eric.  
"I want you," I throw the second card down.  
"Tris," Eric groans and I know he is getting ready for his usual argument.  
"I know, Eric. I understand, but I still have feelings that won't go away. Do you feel good making me come," I ask bluntly and keep my eyes on him. I don't want to miss even the slightest reaction.  
"I like to please you," Eric admits.  
"Please me," I repeat. Odd choice of words.  
"Satisfy you, bring you to orgasm, show you what I can give you," he rephrases and I smirk.  
"Don't you think I would like to return the favor?"

"You say you do but do you think you still want it when Max picks us up and you return to your friends?"

I know I need to take a mental step back and not immediately feel like he slapped me in the face.

We talked about this before and I know Eric's concerns. He was always honest but this was incredibly blunt and somehow offending.

"I know I want to be with you. I like you… if we really are in a relationship then you need to trust me that I am as involved as you are. I might have seemed flighty and manipulative before but I am not," I declare with conviction.

"Tris….." Eric starts but I raise my hand to stop his interruption.

"I trust you to have my best interest in mind but you also need to trust me that I learned some of the lessons you tried to teach me. How can I show you I changed if you take away my opportunities to do so? Maybe we need to work on our communication but I get it, Eric. Your reputation provides the basis for all the wrong assumptions you fear facing us when we get back. I am not asking you to change in public but I want you to embrace me, the person I am becoming. I am not a prisoner, I never lost my free will…. Okay, maybe I needed to be forced to face some truths and I fought you all the way…. But as soon as we got here I was committed to changing for the better. To work on my issues and to face the errors of my way." I take a deep breath because Johanna was right, this fucking sucks. "I am yours, Eric, but I also want you to prove you are mine. Let me love you the way you deserve to be loved. The way you denied everyone else to get close won't fly with me. You need to commit, too, and you need to trust me to know I will not fail us. Will everyone talk about us? Hell yes! Will they most likely come to the worst assumptions ever? Of course! Should it bother us? Hell no! I love my friends but if they are my friends then they need to learn that I now know right from wrong, that I know what I want and what I need to become a fully functioning member of Dauntless. They need to trust that I want to strife as their leader in order to help the faction become the best it can be under our guidance. And yes, OUR guidance. We are a team, as leaders and as a couple. We might not pull on the same strings but we have the same goal, Eric."

"Are you done," Eric asks when I finally pause.

"Kind of," I grin at him sheepishly.

"My turn?"

"Go ahead!" Now I am sporting his smirk for sure.

"You know this is all new for me too," Eric starts and waits for my nod before he pushes on. "I will make mistakes, I will say the wrong things, I will screw up. We both will and I am aware of this. I do understand your point and maybe I underestimated you again," he concedes. "I am not as worried about my reputation but about the damage that could be done to you should everyone pull together and convince you that what we might have done is wrong, that I am wrong for you. Maybe I am just trying to protect myself and that is not fair to you," Eric admits and I so want to say something. Eric sees this and he nods for me to go ahead.

I close the gap between us first and put my arms around his waist, snuggling my head into his chest. His arms come up and hold me tight, telling me without further words he wants to hold on to me. With Eric it is often the little things that he doesn't say with words but actions that show me his real thoughts on something.

"Do you think I am not worried about everyone causing such a fuss that you decide I am not worth all the trouble," I ask quietly.

Eric's arms tighten almost painfully but he releases the pressure after a few seconds and I can feel him kiss the crown of my head.

"Maybe we just need to work on trusting that we are each other's priority," I continue. "My friends are important to me but I can't see myself putting them before you, no matter what. I need your help, though. You need to tell me what it is you need in order to believe in me…."

"Tris," Eric sighs and pulls my face up so I can see his, right before his lips descend on mine.

I don't know how or when we moved but when Eric retreats we are both on the sofa, snuggled into each other and by the way the sun is shining I think we are due our lunch.

Right on cue my stomach growls and Eric chuckles.

"I trust you, Tris. It is me that can't be trusted with your trust. Stop," he counters what I want to say before I get the chance. "I really mean it, it isn't you, it is me. One of my fears is blind trust, Tris." Oh! "It is not going to go away just because I want it to. Fears are something that might stick with us for the rest of our lives…. BUT we can work on them and I need you to know this so you know what to expect. Don't become offended, don't lose faith in me," Eric begs, and I know I will do whatever it takes to help him, to help us.

"Will you work on letting me take care of you," I simply ask.

"Tris," Eric sighs once more.

"You let me prepare your meals. You allow me to do your laundry. Why is taking care of your other needs so different," I ask, and I can see that I stumped Eric.

"You don't know the emotional ramifications yet," Eric tries to defend himself without giving in.

"I never will if you keep stopping me. I know what it feels like to have you touch me. Why should I be more affected when it is me doing the touching? My body knows the bliss you can give me. Do you think my hand will hurt if I touch you? Do you think seing you orgasm will mentally scar me? I trust you with my health, my safety, my body…. I know you won't hurt me, Eric. Just let me love you!" I exclaim and I think I finally figured out what the real issue is.  
I throw myself onto Eric and kiss him with all I have.

"I love you," I say against his lips and he freezes. I move on and kiss his face and neck, murmuring words of love after every single kiss to his skin.

"I love you," I state loudly one last time, looking directly into his eyes.

"Shit," he sighs.

I know he doesn't mean it in the obvious way, no, from the way he looks I know he just figured out what I did. It is not blind trust that he fears, it is not being loved unconditionally.

Eric's lips find mine and boy did he hold back before because this kiss is just….. gah. I can't think when he kisses me like this.

I am still where I landed when I threw myself onto Eric, right in his lap with my knees on either side of his. This time, when I grind myself against him, he does nothing. Eric simply lets me take charge but doesn't retreat in any shape or form.

Just like my moans and groans, his grow in intensity too. I am right at the brink of my orgasm when Eric grabs my hips. First, I think it is to stop me so he won't orgasm himself, but no, it is to help me grind my clit harsher into him.

I whimper and he whines, I moan and he groans. I orgasm and he keeps bucking into me until….. "Ungh…. Tris!"

I never knew I would be able to feel Eric orgasm but I do feel him jerking.

Neither of us speaks. I am blissed out and so is he.

Eric's hands start rubbing over my back when I snuggle into him but unfortunately all things have to pass eventually.

"I need to change," Eric whispers into my ear.

"Now," I groan.

"Yeah…."

Slowly, I move back and slide to the left so I can sit beside him. Eric doesn't hide a thing from me and I can see the wet marks on his clothes.

"You change, I fix our lunch," I offer.

"Thank you!" Eric kisses me deeply and I know he is saying thanks for a multitude of things that we don't have to voice in detail.

It seems we both came to the same conclusion and there is no lingering doubt or anything else. We are at peace with our decisions and nothing really changed.

We spend the day like we would have any other over the last two weeks, but when it's time for Eric's nightly 'give Tris an orgasm so she can sleep better' routine he doesn't hold back and finds the same release and bliss for himself.

…

The next morning couldn't come fast enough and finally the moment I have been waiting for is here. Eric emerges from the tree line, sweaty, muscles bulging and with a smile on his face. He waves at me like he always does before heading inside.

I can hear his feet pound onto the stairs, the floorboards creak ever so slightly when he makes his way over to my room.

His body is sweaty and once more he tries to keep his soaked clothes away from me when he greets me with a kiss.

"I am going for a quick shower," he states and walks back out.

I wait for the shower to start before I grab my towel and walk into the bathroom.

It's a new day and things have changed.

The glass divider for the shower lets Eric see me enter. He stares at me wordlessly when I put my towel beside his. When I grab the hem of my shirt he closes his eyes, but when I fold my top and put it on the side he is back to watching me.

I slowly move my hands to my hips, tucking my fingers into the elastic of my pants, and when I start pulling the fabric down my legs at a snails pace Eric grabs his dick and starts stroking himself. By the time I reach my ankles I can see the red and swollen shaft in his hands.

Carefully, I step out of my pants, fold them and put them right on top of my shirt.

I let my steps lead me right in front of the glass and push my hands against it first before I bring my chest forward. My breasts are squeezed against the glass and the cold causes my nipples to constrict. Eric follows my example and steps right in front of the glass. I stare at his hands as he rubs up and down his erection. The movement obstructs my view but I can see enough to make me want to get up close and personal.

Again, I move my hands to my hips and grab the cotton of my panties. It is easier to have them slide down my legs without much helps and I step out of them without removing my breasts from the glass.

Eric rewards me by stepping even closer to the glass. He pushes his dick up against the glass but doesn't put pressure on it like I did with my breasts. No, it is more like he is holding it right beside the glass and I get the full three dimensional model in clear view. He is still rubbing his length but the is doing it in a way that I have an unobstructed view.

I want to touch it and help him, but when I slide down for a closer examination, Eric moans and twitches. He doesn't still his hands, they continue with their ministrations, and I watch in fascination as liquid pools on the slit that sits at the enlarged top. The flesh is straining, I can see all the veins and the bulbous head is a deep puplish red. I lick my suddenly dry lips and when Eric moans again, more liquid seeps out of the tip and slides slowly down the side.

I bite my lips to surpress a moan and look up to check Eric's face. He is staring at me with an unreadable expression. His eyes are blazing and his lips are twitching, he swallows hard, repeatedly, and then his eyes close.

The spell is broken and I return my gaze to his erection and watch the last few seconds of twitching flesh in amazement right before white liquid shoots out from the top. It lands everywhere! On the glass, Eric's hands, stomach and his penis itself. It is more than just one spurt and it explains the jerks I felt against me so much better. Watching it happen is just…. Wow!

There is no stopping me now and I quickly enter the shower.

Eric looks startled, I don't think he expected me to come in now. Without a word I grab the soap and lather up before I clean him and the glass without an ounce of hesitation.

"Tris," Eric moans and pulls me into him when the last remnants of ejaculate are gone.

His lips find mine like they did so often over the past days and I am getting lost in him until the water turns cold. We quickly finish our shower but the water is freezing by the time we step out.

Eric wraps my towel around me before grabbing his own.

"I love you," he tells me right before he kisses me again.

My back hits the bathroom door and I get sandwiched between the hard wood and the hard planes of Eric's body.

Even through the two towels I feel it when Eric rises to the occasion. My, he does have a fast recovery time, it seems.

"Breakfast," I mumble against his lips.

"I am not hungry for food," Eric returns and I can feel my body heat up all over.

"Me neither," I admit, and Eric renews his attacks on my mouth.

Eric's hands slide under my towel and when I arch into him the whole thing drops.

Eric seizes the moment and his lips wander down the column of my neck before they attach to my aching breasts.

"I've wanted to do this for some time," is all I hear before Eric's lips pucker and he sucks my right nipple into his mouth while his hand squeezes the left.

"Oh god," I whimper when I feel a stabbing sensation in my abdomen, right before moisture coats my lower lips.

"Eric," I hear around a mouthful of breast and I look at him dumbly.

"What?!"

"God has nothing to do with this," he corrects me without letting go and I feel too turned on to follow up. Instead, I try to put his bent knee in between my thighs and rub my aching clit against the firm muscle.

"Oh god! Eric," I moan when I succeed.

Eric ignores it this time and simply switches his mouth to my other breast.

My rubbing against Eric dislodges his towel and with every move I make I can feel the fabric slide down further and further.

"Fuck," I mutter when I suddenly rub myself against bare skin.

"Eric?!" I whine when I realise I need … something …. to help me over the edge.

Eric's hand is on the move immediately, and when it comes closer and closer to where I am furiously rubbing myself against him, I know he will help.

He doesn't disappoint and while I bemoan the loss of his thigh I gain his fingers right on my clit.

"Shit," I hiss when he starts a fast paced circling of my swollen nub. "Keep going," I encourage when he slows down. "No," I whine when his lips detach.

"Shhh," Eric soothes. "I've got you," he vows when he changes his position and hoists one of my legs over his shoulder.

Words elude me when Eric uses his fingers and lips to bring me to orgasm.

The world around us ceases to exist and I don't even notice Eric rubbing his erection against my leg till he comes until way after. I am blissed out, incoherent and lie panting on a heap of towels. Nothing matters but the man cuddling me to him with strong arms. His grip is sure and I know that he won't ever let me go if I don't want him to.

Hours could have passed before we move. We clean up once more, get dressed and fix some food. I don't bother looking at the clock; time doesn't matter.

There is still sunlight so we go for one last stroll through the woods. Our interactions are different, I notice. We are freely touching one another, there is no dancing around and we simply do as we please.

I hold Eric's hand, he pulls me close until he can encircle my waist. He kisses me when he feels like it and I snuggle into him from time to time. We are both relaxed and content to just … be.

Neither of us is hungry when we return but we agree to cut some fruit and veggies to snack on during the movie we plan to watch.

I don't know much of what happened in the movie after the first half hour...

The room is dark, the couch soft and Eric even more tempting when a steamy scene plays out on the screen. The small and innocent caresses we shared turn more serious until I can't stand the distance any longer. We are lying on the sofa, Eric behind me, and once the unexpected coupling on the screen is over I turn around and crawl on top of Eric.

His lips find mine immediately and without hesitation I rub myself against his erection that had been poking me as soon as it was obvious what was going to happen in the movie.

Eric is just wearing boxers while I donned a tank top and yoga pants, forgoing all underwear in hopes this might happen again.

The feelings are as amazing as always but I want to ask Eric for more tonight, if he is willing.

"I want to touch you," I say against his lips and he moves his head slightly away.

"What?!"

"You touched me but …. I haven't touched you yet. Let me touch you," I ask again.

"Okay," he concedes right away and though I am surprised, I was hoping for him to agree. It seems we really turned the page and are progressing steadily.

"Will you show me?"

Eric nods and I move down his body until I am straddling his thighs.

My hands go to his waist and I play with the elastic from his boxers.

"You can put your hand in or pull them off," Eric encourages.

I don't have to think twice before I tug them down his legs and put them on the coffee table.

Unsure of whether I should just grab his dick or if I should work my way up to it, I unconsciously rub Eric's thighs until he shivers. Fuck it! I move my hands slowly up his thighs, enjoying the feel of the coarse hair as I go.

I kind of reach his balls first and they are soft and a bit squishy. Not squishy, pliable? I keep touching them, trying to figure out the right word as I do but I don't think I can describe it right. They are softish, a bit heavy when I wriggle them and one seems harder than the other. My pointer finger touches the skin behind and I feel something like a scar. I trace it up and down a bit and Eric moans, bucking slightly into me.

"You can put more pressure on if you want. I will tell you if anything hurts," he promises and I give it a try. The texture becomes more pronounced and it feels a bit like a walnut. Thanks to my stay in Amity I was able to broaden my food knowledge immensely and that's what the puckered skin reminds me of. Well, people call testicles nuts so I shouldn't be surprised if they and the skin behind them feel like one from time to time.

I feel like I am neglecting what I came for and slowly but surely I move my hands to the front and touch the satiny flesh that is Eric's penis. I touched it in the shower but that was to clean it and with the soap I did not get the real deal.

I can feel some of the veins I saw before, I am sure they are popping out like when he was masturbating in the shower. The indentation where the head meets the shaft is easily distinguishable, even in the darkened room, and when I rub over the tip my fingers spread the moisture leaking from the slit.

"You can use it to rub around," Eric moans and I follow his advice.

"Use both hands," Eric encourages again and, like the good student he turned me into, I follow his lead.

Eric's sounds of pleasure tell me I am doing a good job and as I am getting more sure of myself I decide to try something else I have been told about over and over.

Eric's eyes are closed and he doesn't see my head descend but he sure as hell feels my lips on him. His eyes shoot wide open and he bucks his hips when he feels my tongue as I suck him into my mouth. I hum in delight when I see his reaction and Eric moans loudly when he ends up further in my mouth. Go big or go home, I decide. This is our last night here and I want to leave with Eric knowing that I am absolutely into everything he has to offer me.

I swallow repeatedly, as had been explained to me by Marlene and Christina, and focus on gently breathing through my nose while I push myself down Eric's dick until my nose touches his skin.

Eric is vocal, there are curses mixed with moans and groans, and his hands are entwined in my hair, tugging almost harshly.

I continue to swallow around him before I remember what else I was told. I try my best to hum while also focusing on swallowing and breathing through my nose. Giving a blowjob is hard than I thought by the sound of it.

It works! It fucking works and Eric cries out as he swells and convulses. He is shooting ejaculate down my throat, I can feel it but thankfully not taste it.

Eric grabs my shoulders and gently pries me off of him once he is done. I keep swallowing until the tip reaches my mouth. Don't ask me what made me do it but I kiss his tip when it passes my lips.

Eric moves so fast, I don't know how I miss it, but I find my lips attached to his before the feel of his dick leaves my lips.

I just had his dick in my mouth and now it is replaced by his tongue, doing a wicked dance with mine.

"Thank you," Eric whispers after a while. "I never expected it but that was so hot. You can do that any time you want," he adds and I can't hold back the delighted chuckle.

"God, you are so sexy," Eric groans and rubs himself against me.

"Are you…? How come you are ready to go again?! Don't men need a certain amount of recovery time?"

"Tris, I am not a senior citizen. I can get it up more than once a week," he teases.

"I know that but from what I heard, men don't have the ability to come and come again," I say with a frown.

"I might not be able to have multiple orgasms but I assure you I have a good recovery time."

"I can feel that. I thought it was only teenagers who had that issue," I tease.

"Hey, I am only twenty one and that is not an issue, is a blessing that you get to benefit from as much as I do."

"I sure hope so," I quip and kiss him before he can come up with something else to say.

Eric gets the hint and grabs my hips, helping me rub myself against him.

It feels nice but with all the new things we are doing I want to add one more thing from my list.

I push off of Eric and pull my pants down.

"Tris," Eric shouts in a voice that can only be described as horrified. "We are not having sex," he declares loudly. "Give me at least that," he begs.

"I just want to feel you, not have sex," I defend myself.

"And how is that supposed to work," Eric demands to know and I shrug my shoulders.

"No idea, I thought you might know," I hedge.

"Why would I know how to be naked with a woman but not have sex," he asks me in a tone that now indicates I am being utterly ridiculous.

"You are the one with all the experience. Just don't penetrate me," I state lamely.

Eric looks at me and his face softens.

"Are you willing to risk me accidentally slipping in?"

"Will you," I enquire.

"I don't know,Tris. We can try but I can't give you any guarantees."

"I trust you," I state.

"This isn't about trust, Tris. This is about getting lost in the moment and two people moving against each other how they please…. It is your choice but I still think we should wait with sex until we are back and everyone knows this is not some weird coerced attraction or, heaven forbid, Stockholm syndrome."

"You captured me, dragged me back to your lair and then you escaped with me to the countryside," I teasingly remind him.

"And I did it all with the approval of Max and your friends," Eric adds. "But he also threatened me if I should touch you inappropriately. Your suggestion to have me chain you to the bed or mine to have you fucking me into submission was denied by Max," he bemoans.

"I am sorry, can you repeat that," I ask, full of indignation.

"No need for claws. I was messing with Max and it was the most fun I ever had with him. I even told him to leave us here for another week if he came across a sock on the door when he comes to collect us," Eric adds.

"Why would there be a sock on the door?" What the fuck is he talking about? Why would hanging your laundry from the door tell Max to leave us here for another seven days? Well, that would actually be a great idea…..

"Argh, blame it on weird movies men watch, okay? It is an inside joke, so to speak. In some movies men hang a sock on their door knob to indicate to others that they are not to be disturbed because they have a girl with them."

"What movies do you guys watch together? Is that some weird fetish porn?"

Maybe I am clueless but that, I haven't heard before.

Eric splutters but catches himself fast enough to explain things properly.

"No, it is more immature teen movies that seem to be a right of passage in Dauntless. If you are a man in Dauntless and reached the age of seventeen then you sure as hell watched one of those movies."

Okay… maybe it is time to move on.

I don't think about my state of undress when I throw myself back into Eric's arms and kiss him so he will shut up.

Okay, this feels different, I conclude as soon as I am settled in my usual position.

Ooh, this feels nice. I moan in approval.

Eric groans and then he rolls us over without ending up on the floor. Good man!

He takes charge, just like I hoped, and when he pushes my legs together, I keep them closed despite not knowing what good that is supposed to do.

My unspoken question is answered when Eric's hand squeezes right in between the apex of my thighs. His finger is probing and with a satisfied grunt he retract his hand. He wriggles around on top of me, getting into a different position and when he lowers himself again I can feel his hand guide his erection right where I need it the most. He passes my clit and I shiver. His hand retracts and I can feel him lift his torso up, balancing his weight on his forearms.

"Wow," I compliment before another moan comes through my lips.

"Don't open your legs, no matter how much you want to," Eric begs and I nod. I will try to give him that.

Then Eric starts to move and wow, this is fucking great. I can feel the whole length of him rub in the barely there gap he created at the apex of my thighs. I don't think there even is a gap but his dick is right there and with every move of his hips, Eric rubs my clit. The moisture seeping out from my lips coats his straining erection and makes it glide smoothly along my heated core.

Eric speeds up and the pressure is increasing exponentially until my orgasm catches both of us by surprise.

"So hot," Eric moans and continues to rub himself against me.

My legs are shaky from my orgasm, and I swear I don't do it on purpose, but my thighs part ever so slightly and instead of pushing the head of his dick into the couch beneath me Eric pushes against me.

He is not going inside my pussy but he is now humping against that little bit of skin between my folds. One tilt of my pelvis and he will push inside. God, this feels great and I just want to feel him inside of me. I promised, fuck! Why did I make that promise? I could pretend it was an accident but I would know differently. No, I can't do that. Eric trusts me and I can't abuse that trust by pretending things are not what they are. Shit!

"I love you," I whisper instead and close my thighs tightly around him once more.

Unfortunately the new angle Eric had doesn't allow for him to move back the way we were but the pressure is incredibly pleasant and …. Fucking hell, I am coming again just as he swells, ready for his own orgasm.

Eric slows down his movements between my legs, his kisses never stopped and they don't now. I am slowly relaxing my legs and that feat brings Eric back to reality, it seems.

"Keep them closed, Tris. I will be right back," he promises and carefully lifts himself off me and the couch.

I can hear him head upstairs, water is running and then he is back with a washcloth in one hand and a towel in the other.

"Lift up," he instructs and then he pushes the towel under my butt. "Careful," he whispers when he pushes his hand with the quite hot and wet washcloth in between my thighs.

I can feel him rub gently against me before he asks me to slowly open my legs.

He keeps wiping me as I do so, cleaning me and catching all the sperm he spread around. He drops the wet towel on the coffee table and I make a mental note to wipe it down properly before we leave. The towel beneath me is used to dry me and then Eric dresses both of us.

We cuddle some more but Eric seems eager to call it a night and head to bed.

"Would you like to cuddle in bed," he asks me when we reach the landing.

"I would love to," I answer honestly.

"Yours or mine?"

"It doesn't matter to me as long as you are there," I state and it is absolutely true. I want Eric, however and whenever he lets me.

Eric looks at his door and then at mine.

"Let's take yours. This way we don't miss a thing from our morning routine," he teases.

"Let's," I agree and take his hand, leading him right into the bedroom.

"Which side do you usually sleep on," I ask when I look at the large bed that seems rather small all of a sudden.

"You go get ready and lie on your usual side. I don't care which side I am on as long as you are beside me."

God, that was cheesy but I still give him a bright smile.

In no time we are ready for bed and, when I crawl beneath the covers beside him, he waits patiently for me to get my bearings. Being beside him but not touching is weird so I scoot backwards until I reach his hot body. His arm comes up and he pulls me closer, kissing my hair but not doing anything else.

"Good night, Tris!"

"Night, Eric," I whisper and close my eyes.

…

**Eric POV**

Tris falls asleep in no time and I wish I could claim the same.

Having her in my arms is the best feeling ever. The trust she has in me is fucking mind-blowing.

How did we get here, I wonder once more.

I avoided Tris like the plague. I saw her potential, but I also saw the damage everyone was doing while Tris ate that coddling shit up like nothing else. I doubt she set out to become so manipulative but that's how she ended up and with nobody wanting to admit they failed there was no chance in hell for her to get out of the mess on her own.

It hurt to see her work herself almost to death but I think that was the the only way they all saw the light. God, how I wanted to smack some sense into her but I simply turned my back on them and did what needed to be done elsewhere.

What good did that do me? A ton of good, it seems, because in the end I was entrusted with Tris' life, her health and safety, and not only did I come through, I found something I never expected at the end of the tunnel.

No idea how or when it happened but I fell in love with this ridiculous woman. She is stubborn as hell but she will also be too stubborn to give up on us. I know it, deep down, that she is committed but I am still dreading Max reaction above all else. Her friends won't sway her mind, they are not strong enough for that, but they can cause some issues. Well, we will have to pass that bridge when it comes.

I don't think Tris will fall back into her old habits, she will be way too busy with me but I really believe she doesn't want to live life like than again either. She enjoys cooking, she loves watching movies with me and she has no issue with sitting next to me while we both read. And let's not forget her extremely competitive nature when it comes to besting me at Star Wars. Fuck, that shit is hot when she tries to outsmart me, she certainly is a tactical genius.

Tris turns around and cuddles into me and finally my mind is able to focus only on her. Her breathing is my guide and finally my eyes become heavy and my mind clouded. I fall asleep with her safe in my arms.

…

I wake early, just like any other day, but getting up for my morning run proved harder than usual with Tris sleeping half on top of me. Her warm body is curled up around me and she just looks so serene, I am afraid to wake her when I move.

I am honestly contemplating skipping my morning run but this is one thing I don't feel good about missing because it gives me the quiet time I need to brace myself for the day ahead.

Without waking Tris I slip out of bed and quickly change into my running clothes.

The morning air is crisp and refreshing. I start with an easy warm up before heading into the woods. Time flies and I am at peace when I return to our temporary home.

Just like the last days, Tris is waiting for me by her window and I don't waste time before I kiss her again.

She looks sleep rumpled, happy and relaxed – she couldn't be any sexier.

"Shower," I mumble against her lips and she nods.

As I walk to the door I notice she hasn't moved.

"You coming," I ask over my shoulder and strip where she can still see me before entering the bathroom.

I hear rustling before I start the shower and warm hands encircle me from behind before I can turn around.

Naked breasts push against my back and I moan loudly when her hands move closer and closer to my straining dick. Fuck yes, I am going to have sex on a regular basis and more than once at day, it seems.

Together we step under the hot spray, Tris washing me while I return the favour.

Tris prefers to keep her hands on my dick and so do I, but when she hitches a leg and pushes herself closer I gently pry her off.

"Save the last step for when we get home, remember," I ask her, staring deeply into her eyes.

"What difference will it make if we do it now or tonight?"

I am silent to her but my mind is racing. She caught me by surprise with this one. Does she mean she is going to demand sex as soon as we are back in the compound? Does she not understand that we are talking about a longer timeframe? Why are we talking about a longer wait again? I ask myself that question over and over and I finally conclude that Tris is right. This is something we do for us and not for the faction. It is personal and the only two people contributing factors to the choice are in this shower.

"Fuck it," I declare loudly and Tris' eyes widen.

"Really," she ask, sounding more than excited.

"You are what's important to me. If you are ready and want to do it now, then we will do it now," I explain and she once more tries to hitch her leg up.

I grab her ass and hoist her up high so her center is touching my abs.

"Maybe we should return to the bed," I suggest.

"I don't want to wait and I don't think it will make a difference where we have sex," Tris argues.

"Don't you want your first time to be in a bed," I ask, smirking at her.

"Wipe that smirk off your face. I am not some girl that will faint as soon as she sees a naked dick approach her," Tris starts off with a bang.

"You are a virgin and I think it might be less painful in a bed. You can lie down and I can take care of you…" I don't get to say more than that. Tris is in my face, eyes blazing and voice sharp.

"Why do you insist I am a simpering virgin, Eric? Did you ever ask me if I was one or did you just assume? You know what they say about people who assume? You make an ass out of me and you." She grins devilishly and sucks on my neck.

"Nice distraction," I compliment. "Who in this city would have he balls to have sex with you despite all your bodyguards," I snort.

"You," Tris screeches.

"What?!" I am sounding rather ridiculous and I feel it too when I remember that we are both naked and in the shower, discussing the place we will have sex.

"You will have sex with me but that's not the point. I am not a virgin, haven't been for years," she declares proudly.

"You had sex before," I screech. It is unmanly and comes out unrequested, I feel like I now know why Uriah often sounds like this. Women are the downfall of manly men.

"Not with a man," Tris growls. "Just….. fuck it, Eric. Let's just agree to the fact that I don't have a hymen anymore. There will be no blood or pain when we have sex, okay?!"

"Still doesn't mean we should have sex right now in this shower," I state while trying to calm the fuck down.

"Do you want to have sex before Max comes to collect us or do you want to wait until tonight," Tris asks.

"I already agreed with you that my notion to wait was misplaced. I will fuck you as soon as we are in your bed…. or mine," I add.

"Don't you want to know how it will feel like," Tris whispers into my ear right before she goes and sucks on my neck.

I moan loudly as my dick twitches in silent agreement.

"Don't you think that the water will make us feel slippery and we can glide along each other instead of rubbing dry skin raw," she questions while whispering into my other ear. Tris goes back to sucking the sensitive skin on my neck while she lets her words sink in.

"I think it would feel fantastic if you were to push me against the wall and fucked me senseless," she adds when she pops up right in front of me. Her lips find mine, her tongue sneaks out and I am lost to my thoughts and the sensations she elicits.

"You don't want slow and gentle lovemaking," I double check.

"No, I want you however you want me but I don't want artificial stereotypes. If you want me you can fuck me rigth here and now, I am sure you are more than able to," Tris challenges and I growl.

With my mind made up I take control of the kiss. My tongue pushes Tris' back and she ups her game, pushing right back. Whoever heard the term of duelling tongues before didn't imagine what we are doing but fuck, it feels good and my whole body strums with an electric energy we create.

Just as she wanted, I push her against the wall and let her slide down my body. Tris gets the hint and tilts her pelvis. I don't slide right in, that is just another stereotype used in books and movies. I adjust a few times and push slowly into her wet heat.

Both of us moan when I am able to fill her to the brink. There was no resistance and there definitely was no pain. Tris is eager and as involved as I am.

Slowly, I pull back out and move into her once more. I retreat a bit faster and move back inside harsher. I keep this steady increase up until I am snapping my hips and slamming into her.

My balls are on fire and my stomach is burning. Tris squeezed the ever loving shit out of me already but I am nowhere near done with her.

I never expected to have this much stamina, I feared I would be a one pump and done guy with her but I digress. She is keeping such a tight hold on me, it is starving off my own orgasm and it is just …. Perfect!

Fuck, I am turning into a fucking pussy!

Oh yes, that's it! I slam into Tris two more times and when her walls clamp down on me I let go. Five fucking spurts shoot out and I am spent.

"Shit," I groan and Tris nods.

"That was fucking awesome! Thank you," she adds sincerely and kisses me sweetly on my lips.

We kiss and kiss some more but all good things have to end when you are in a shower and for us that is the moment the water turns too cold to stand. I am still deeply seated within Tris when I step out of the shower, careful to keep my balance. I wrap my towel around Tris' back and walk her back to my bedroom, sitting down on my mattress with her on top of me.

"Worth the wait," Tris compliments.

"Couldn't agree more," I state in between small kisses I am placing all over her face.

Tris keeps wriggling around until I finally take notice and remove my lips from her skin.

"What's wrong," I question.

"It's squishy," Tris complains.

Squishy?!

I pay more attention to how she feels to me and then I push her off of me so fast, she lands on the floor.

"Shit," I exclaim and help her up, keeping her standing in front of me while I grab the towel and gently wipe in between her legs.

"I am sorry," I throw in for good measure.

Tris snorts.

"What are you sorry for?" Her tone is rather cold.

"For fucking you withour proctection! I should have remembered to put a damned condom on my dick because you are not on any reliable birth control."

"Oh," Tris stammers and I just know she took everything wrong before.

"We go to the infirmary and get you the emergency contraception as soon as we are back. Hector is expecting to see you anyway so this will not be suspicious in any shape or form," I announce proudly.

"Eric?" Tris calls my name softly and when I finally look at her she is kneeling in front of me, her gaze worried. "It is going to be okay," she soothes.

"You don't know that! We just got together and you are recovering. Your body is still malnourished and you need to find your way around Dauntless without working yourself to death. A baby is the thing you need least at the moment. I don't want to fuck up your life more than it had been and I sure as hell don't want you to hate me for ruining your life…."

"Whoa! Slow down there, Eric. Nobody is ruining my life. I love you and I want to be with you. I was right there with you in that shower, on that couch and everywhere else in this house. It will always be the two of us, never ever just you who is responsible for our sex life. I don't think I could become pregnant at the moment but I will take the emergency contraceptive as soon as we get back," Tris soothes.

"You can't become pregnant," I ask with horror.

"Is that all you heard? Geez, Eric. Maybe YOU need a little break as well. I hope to have children one day, I certainly have never been told I would never have children but for now my body does not make me bleed once a month. No period should mean no ovulation but I would like to err on the side of caution."

"But you asked for tampons!" So help me god, I am getting my man card back, even if that means to kill a few members that look at me wrong.

"I was pissed," Tris states as if that should explain everything.

"So was I but you did not see me ask for condoms just to shock you….." I trail off because …. "Fuck! I did just that with Max. I even talked to him about keeping you chained to my bed, putting a damned sock on the door knob and when he threatened to demote me and put you in charge I implied to have you dominate me would simply spice up our sex life."

Tris is shaking from laughing so heard, she even has tears in her eyes.

"What," I grumble but then I join her in laughter because yes….. I was being an ass to Max and that whole monologue just showed how ridiculous I behaved myself.

"Thank you," Tris finally wheezes put, "I needed a good laugh," she adds.

This was our turning point and we finally get ready for the day.

There isn't much to pack and we are in the middle of our breakfast when we hear the powerful engine that indicates the arrival of Dauntless.

"Do you want to greet Max by the door," I ask when Tris just shoves some more egg into her mouth.

She shakes her head no and chews.

"He can come in on his own. If we meet him by the door our breakfast will get cold," she reasons.

"True," I agree and put another forkful into my own mouth.

We both hear the slam of the door, even the sound of Max's heavy footsteps travels and then there is …. nothing!

"Is he expecting us to come and open the door for him," I ask, wondering what's the problem.

Tris opens her mouth to reply when the front door flies open and Max storms in. He comes to a full stop when he sees us sitting at the table with plates of food in front of us.

"Max," I greet but he doesn't let me say anything else.

"You fucking asshole," he shouts and walks over to me with purpose. His eyes are narrowed and his nostrils flare. Someone sure as hell spit into his morning coffee, I think to myself just before he cocks his arm back and swings at me.

I barely manage to get out of the way and Tris jumps up to restrain Max.

"What the fuck is wrong with you," I shout, jumping up to my feet and raising my hands into a defensive position.

"A fucking sock," Max roars and I pause.

"What?!"

"You put a fucking sock on the door knob and expect me to be civilised," Max growls.

"I didn't….," I start but Tris' sharp intake of air makes me turn around and really look at her. She looks guilty as hell.

"What the fuck, Tris," I growl, easily beating Max in the fierceness department.

"I thought it would be funny," she states, suddenly finding the floor really interesting.

"Making Max mad at me is funny," I ask incredulously.

"I didn't think he would try to hit you," she admits.

"What did you expect to happen instead? That he knocks and asks if we need another hour before we are ready?"

"Another week here would have been nice," she grumbles. "I didn't think about the ramifications, I only thought it would be funny to see his face…. and yours."

"You put the sock on the door handle," Max asks, turning his full attention on her. "Have you not learned a thing while being stuck out here?"

"No, I just thought it would be funny after Eric mentioned what he told you," Tris sighs.

"Tris," Max sighs, rubbing his face with both hands.

"I know, Max. I really do. Just pretend I didn't do that and be nice to Eric; he helped me a lot," Tris begs.

"So you are going to be able to keep your work load at moderate levels," Max asks eagerly, the previous encounter seemingly forgotten.

"I am sure Eric would simple drag me back home if I stayed at work too long," Tris snorts. Not helping, Tris. Not helping at all.

"Well, Eric can go back to his normal routine and I will keep an eye on you," Max promises, not knowing that is the wrong thing to say.

"Max, I love you but you are one of my enablers. If you keep an eye on me like you did the first time, I am sure as hell bound to overdo it," Tris admits rather crudely. "Eric has no qualms to tell me to shut up, get home and sit my ass down so he can pamper me."

Oh Tris, you should have shut up while you were ahead.

"Eric wouldn't pamper you, he would lock you up and lose the key," Max deadpans and I know there is no way Tris will ease him into our relationship.

"Eric loves me and wouldn't think of doing that! He would drag me home, feed me something ridiculously healthy, run me a bath and hand me a book so I am not bored. He would drag me to the couch, start a movie and distract me for as long as it takes to relax and settle down. Heck, the man just has to look at me and all I want to do is spend the whole day in bed with him…."

And I should have paid more attention to Max than Tris. No matter how much I appreciate her realising what I do for her, the fist that comes at me because of all these things is too fast for me to avoid this time.

I am on the floor, rubbing my chin, and staring a bit dazed at Tris rounding in on Max. I don't catch it all but the gist is that she is happy, hasn't been coerced and she appreciates the concern but to butt the fuck out of our business. I am hers and anything that comes up she will handle for the both of us. Cute, but yeah…. Losing my man card a bit more which equals to more pain for stupid faction members when I come across them. I am a tough guy, I am manly and strong. Nobody tells me what to do!

"Sit on the chair and hold this too your jaw," Tris instructs and I follow through immediately.

Max gives me weird looks but doesn't say anything else until Tris is sitting happily by my side while I am holding a cloth with a bag of frozen peas to my jaw.

"As long as you don't regress you have my support," Max finally announces and I don't have to look at Tris to know she is beaming at him. The glazed look on Max's face says it all.

"Good, because I am back and I am not taking any shit…."

Max snorts at that but another look from Tris has him shut up real fast.

"I learned my lesson and I know where I went wrong and where others went wrong. Eric will keep me on the straight and narrow but I still want my friends and family to be exactly that. You will learn to welcome Eric and he will learn how to accept you being in my life."

I sigh deeply and this time it's my turn to receive the withering glare.

"You know how important my friends are to me. You know I see Max and Hana as substitute parents. Having them involved in my life is what I still need but they won't take precedence of you. I will come home to you and we will spend enough time together to make you wish I would work more."

I chuckle because that thought is just utterly ridiculous.

"Don't think that will ever happen," I promise. "I keep you tied to me so closely you will have no idea anybody else exists," I boast.

"My friends….."

"I am not talking about your friends but about all the other men that will sniff around you time and time again. You got your spark back and it will be painful for everyone else because you are mine and I don't share!"

"Are you two done," Max asks without animosity.

"Almost," I say and take another bite of my now cold eggs. I cringe when I chew and Tris rounds in on Max again.

"You owe us a hot breakfast! I need proper food and now I won't be able to eat," Tris complains and I know this is just for show. We ended up having to eat our breakfast cold a few times and she never once complained.

"Just warm it up," Max recommends and walks to the stove to start the oven before grabbing both our plates and setting them inside.

The hard part is behind us and the rest of the morning goes well enough. We eat, we grab our bags and have a last quick clean of the place before settling into the truck with Max.

On the way back to Dauntless he fills us in on everything that happened which is quite a lot.

I drag Tris to the infirmary upon our return. Well, I planned on doing that but unfortunately all of her friends were gathered to greet her. Tris wasted no time in levelling with everyone and then there were a few more spats that Tris won easily before they acknowledged that I, too, now have a place in Tris' life. They won't accept that change easily but they seemed to have gotten the message that there was no space for interference. Sometimes it pays off to be known for one's stubbornness and Tris is the crowned queen.

We both needed some time to adjust to life with one another in Dauntless. How to navigate work and private life as well as how to leave the leader behind when we entered the privacy of our home. There was an adjustment period, there were fights but we knew what we wanted and that the other was worth a bit of headache from time to time.

THE END

And they lived happily ever after...

* * *

**Well, that is the way I finished this story after a year long hiatus. I got everything ready for posting. This document was already uploaded but not yet posted and then... I found myself thinking about more things to post late last night. I slept over it and then I went and opened a blank document. The intention was to do a mix between outtakes and gag reel - like you find at the end of a movie when the main credits are done. I don't think I am done yet but I am posting what I've got! Hope you'll enjoy it if you liked the story.**


	5. Outtakes

**Outtakes**

**Eric POV**

"Thank you, Patrick," I say with sincerity.

"Don't sweat it. You could have done it yourself if Dauntless had better equipment. Can't blame you for showing up here when you need to have your tablet fixed."

"Well, I could have given it to the IT department but I didn't feel like risking losing even one document," I groan.

Patrick laughs out loud and I growl when we both remember the clusterfuck that happened when I had issues with my leadership tablet the very first time after transferring.

"God, I wish I had seen your face," he giggles. "To be handed back you tablet and being told it has been fixed by them wiping it clean and simply putting the programs back on. Priceless!"

"It certainly helped cement the sentiment to not fuck with me," I admit.

"You know I am always there to help you even if you fucking upped and left."

Ain't that the truth.

"With you I know that you won't screw me over."

"That's what big brothers are there for," Patrick declares and gives me a wink.

"I thought it was to annoy the shit out of me growing up by boasting about your accomplishments," I tease.

"That was a privilege I earned by paving the way for you." Patrick repeats the one sentence I am sick and tired of hearing.

"Didn't miss you telling me," I smirk.

"Won't stop me from repeating it every time I see you," he quips.

"And that's why I don't come around as often as I could," I admit. "Well, I need to get going," I add.

"I won't keep you," Patrick adds and turns back to his workbench and the project he had been working on when I came in.

…

I am right I time to catch the train and simply messing around with my tablet to waste some time on the ride back home.

My tablet is definitely fixed, I think when a message comes in.

_Max: Where are you?_

_Eric: Train_

_Max: ETA_

_Eric: Passing the roof_

_Max: …_

I put the tablet into its protective case and stand up to jump out at the maintenance yard. It is quite busy today and I don't see Max until he is almost right in front of me.

"We have a problem." He doesn't say anything else but turns around and walks away, clearly expecting me to follow.

He doesn't say one word as we walk to his office. It is unlocked and he holds the door open for me. Okay…..

Hana is sitting on one of the chairs and she looks like she is close to tears.

"Take a seat, this is going to take a while," Max announces while closing the door. He heads behind his desk and sits down, giving me the first good look at his own face.

"What the fuck happened," I blurt out.

"Tris," Max states, sounding exhausted.

"What did she do now?"

"She is sedated and in the infirmary," Max starts, taking a deep breath. "She literally worked herself to death. We found her unconscious and barely breathing, slumped over her desk….. Hector says she is malnourished and severely dehydrated. She needs to take time off to recover," Max adds.

"Good luck with that," I snort.

"We were lucky we found her in time. I am not sure how much longer she would have stayed alive. Well, she hasn't seen the light yet. Hector had to sedate her because she ripped her IV out and tried to get back to work as soon as she woke up. I want to keep her alive but I realised that I am not equipped to handle her," Max admits.

I am holding my breath in order to not say even one word. I sincerely hope he is not going to suggest what I think he is hinting at.

"So keep her sedated for as long as Hector deems it necessary," I finally blurt out, hoping like hell to give him a different line of thought to follow.

"You know we can't do that," Max jumps onto the bone.

I shrug. "Not much else to be done. She is dancing on all your noses since she entered Dauntless. You applauded her and encouraged her to keep going. What did you expect?!"

"Eric, we realised that," Hana throws in quietly. "Did you know she ignored all her friends' warnings repeatedly? Uriah and Zeke even tried their own fucked up brand of intervention by gluing her office door shut this morning."

Okay, I did not see that one coming.

"Eric, I need you to do me a favour," Max starts and I shake my head.

"Whatever you are thinking about, wipe it straight out your mind," I demand.

"You have a special reputation in Dauntless and you are basically the only one Tris avoids," Max pushes on. "We want you to look after Tris until she is cleared to go back to work."

"No!" See, easy. That's all you needed to say to Tris and you wouldn't be in this mess.

"Eric, I am putting you on a two week leave of absence so you can look after Tris for me," Max states stubbornly.

"I am not going to babysit Tris just for her to go back and work herself to death again," I declare loudly.

"We are not asking you to babysit, Eric. We are asking to you to fix what we fucked up," Hana states bluntly. "Tris needs a good ass whooping but despite raising Zeke and Uriah even I failed to put my foot down. I am not blind, Eric. I know what needs to be done but I am honest enough to know that none of us have the guts to do it. We are not asking you to baby her, we are asking you to turn her bad habits into good ones. It is a lot to ask of you and it must be a surprise that we are doing it." Hana takes a deep breath and looks at Max.

"You never needed my help. You knew what you wanted for your life even before you chose Dauntless and you made damned sure you got it. You decided that your reputation should be the one of a badass. We accepted it all but I never took the time to sit down with you and tell you that I have no issues with that. Your reputation is not the best but it works in our favour many times; like good cop, bad cop. What I need you to do now is do me a favour. I need you to do whatever it takes to turn the boat around and make Tris into the leader she was supposed to be. I won't interfere and I will support all your choices. How about a trade? I will give you more say about problematic behaviour throughout the faction and I won't even threaten discipline unless you kill someone." Max stops and both look at me expectantly.

I am taking my time to mull things over. What Max offers me has a lot of benefits.

"If I do this I am in charge of everything concerning Tris. I won't just let her go on her merry way when the two weeks are up. She needs to work alongside me until I deem her ready. Any interference on your part and I will back away and let her fall," I threaten.

"We will all take a few steps back," Max promises. "Her friends agreed that they need to separate themselves from her for a while for her own good. We are all in agreement that there is no better man for the job than you. Don't look so surprised, Eric. That's what I was trying to tell you. You might have a shitty reputation but we do know that you won't back down and deliver, no matter the cost. We are willing to pay that price."

"Okay," I finally agree and stand up. "I need to get a few things ready. How much time do I have?"

"Maybe two hours," Max hedges.

"Can someone pack a bag for Tris?" I look at Hana enquiringly.

"I'll do it myself," she promises.

"Drop it by my apartment when you are done," I request before turning back to Max with one parting remark. "You know Tris might become like me when all is said and done," I challenge.

"She will be alive and strong enough to survive long after I am gone. I can live with that," Max states and with that I head out.

* * *

**...**

* * *

**Eric POV**

I am going to kill her!

That mantra is on repeat when I stomp to the leadership offices. I know I will find her there and I am going to put a stop to this shit right away! Mark my words!

I see the right door and throw it open. It bangs against the wall and swings back but I keep it open with my hand.

"What the fuck are you doing here," I shout.  
"I am writing an email," Tris tells me without taking her eyes from the screen or her fingers off the keyboard.

Oh, I don't think so!  
"Switch the computer off," I demand.  
"No," she states, blantantly ignoring me.  
"Now," I roar, and finally she looks up, the display of annoyance on her face fighting with a smirk.  
"No!"  
I stalk over and simply rip all the plugs from the sockets.  
"Excuse me," she growls. "What the fuck was that for? It will take me a while to boot the whole thing up now," she laments.

I don't fucking care. If she utters one more word I will personally bring her computer down to the IT department for them to 'fix'.

She is quiet when I grab her chair but comes alive when I wheel her towards the door.  
"Stop it," she screeches loudly.

Do I look like I care?!

Well I do care some because I clamp my hand on her shoulder to keep her in the chair.  
"Ow, that hurts," she complains loudly.  
"Not as much as it should," I growl right in her ear.  
"Watch it," she moans when I bump the chair against the door frame when she hooks her foot around it to stop me from going any further. It was an accident, she caused it.  
"Trouble in paradise?" Max chuckles from where he is waiting for us in the hallway.  
"Shut up, you created this mess," I growl at him.

"It wasn't me this time," he laughs and I give him the finger.  
Max waves and blows me a kiss, ignoring Tris' continued curses aimed at both of us.

I wheel her past a few stunned members, simply giving them dirty looks, daring them to open their fucking mouths. They quickly avert their eyes while Tris keeps cussing.

Once back at the apartment I abandon Tris in the living room and head into the bedroom. Why did I decide getting dressed could wait until I had Tris back?

I pull on a pair of pants, a t-shirt and throw a hoodie on top for good measure before walking back out to the closet that contains jackets and boots, grabbing the duffel bag I stashed there a few weeks ago.

Tris is still sitting on her office chair, looking at me with pain filled eyes.

"Let's go," I order and she shakes her head.

"No," she moans before closing her eyes.

I stomp over and take her hands in mine, pulling her up slowly.

"Tris," I start but stop in my tracks when my socks suddenly feel wet.

I look down, staring first at the puddle on the floor and then back at Tris.

"Don't blame me," she groans.

"Like hell," I mutter.

I take a step back and survey the scene before stepping back into action.

First I grab a few towels from the bathroom before heading back into the bedroom for fresh clothes.

Throwing one towel onto the floor, I take another one and put it on Tris office chair. Next I take my wet socks off and throw them onto the wet towel on the floor before turning back to Tris.

Her eyes widen when I step closer and they close when I kneel on the floor.

"Hold onto my shoulders," I instruct and wait for her to follow through before I grab the waistband of her elastic pants and pull downwards. I am struggling a bit to get the fabric down her legs, and when it comes to stepping out of the pant legs Tris leans heavily onto my shoulders.

I drop her pants and undies on the same pile as my socks and stand up.

"Arms up'" I instruct.

"No, that is not necessary," Tris opposes me once again.

"Arms up," I growl.

Tris' face changes and she groans once more. I use her distraction to rip her shirt in half. She doesn't even look at me when I grab my t-shirt and pull it over her head but she does help with getting her arms in. Satisfied with how the hem falls below her ass I seat her back in her office chair, draping another towel over her lap.

The last thing I do is putting on fresh socks and my boots before I grab the duffel and push Tris out the door.

"What the fuck was so important that you head into the office to write an email," I seethe when we are on the move again.

"You are the one who locked all the tablets away," she growls.

"Because you are on a break and not supposed to work from home," I repeat myself.

"I just wanted to email my mom," she cries.

"You could have asked me for that," I growl. "What the fuck, Tris? I honestly thought you wouldn't pull that shit again!"

Tris doesn't get to reply, we have reached the doors to the infirmary and I turn us around so I can push the doors open with my back. Once I pass them I swivel us around again and already see the smirking faces.

"Get Hector or so help me, I will leave you alone with her," I threaten and watch with glee how they fall over each other as they try to run away from us.

"Eric," Tris screeches.

"Not now," I tell her without taking my eyes off the chaos I just created.

"Right the fuck now," Tris screams and digs her nails into my hand, drawing blood.

I scream and turn to glare at her.

"Shit," I exclaim. I should jump into action but I am frozen in horror. "What the fuck, Tris," I shout and she doesn't even look at me.

Her eyes are squeezed shut and her whole body contorts but that is not what I am staring at.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," mumble when I hastily fall to my knees and lift the towel off Tris' lap. "Shit! Fucking brilliant! Oh god, what now," I groan.

"Now you step aside and let me catch that baby," Hector states and squats in front of Tris and her office chair, pushing me aside easily.

"Stop pushing," Hector orders Tris who just growls at him.

"Give me that towel," Hector demands and I hand it over with no time to spare. Tris screams and so does my daughter after she lands in Hector's towel clad hands.

"Cutting it a bit tight, huh," Hector teases while checking the baby over.

"She went to her office to send a fucking email while I was getting ready," I complain.

"Here, hold her. She won't be able to escape you yet," he mocks while handing me a screaming baby on a bloody towel.

His staff got their shit together and hand him clamps and everything else he needs to look after us.

"Do you want to wheel Tris over to room four while we check the baby? No sense in getting comfy, I am sure you will be wheeling them both home in no time."

Asshole!

* * *

**...**

* * *

**Max POV**

My mind is busy going over the different scenarios I could find upon my arrival. How will Tris treat me? Does she hate me?

I don't regret leaving her with Eric, he really was the only one who could deal with her. Hector says her results are good enough to let her return but we still need to keep an eye on her behaviour. One wrong move and Eric is back on her like white on rice, I promise myself.

It really is a nice day and I keep the window open to enjoy the fresh air. It is different than when you ride the train. This here is pure air, not polluted by anything we use in the city. Waste, excrements, fuel…. It all comes together and pollutes the air. We don't even realise the difference until we head out to Amity.

Before I know it I see the little house that holds my two missing leaders. Fuck, I even missed Eric. The members seemed to take advantage of Eric leaving the faction for a period of time. Never had the prison been this crowded and let's not even talk about all the damage done to property by all the dependents who flexed their muscles. There even is paint on the door to the leadership offices and whoever did that used a special brand of paint. We couldn't clean that up yet nor have we found the culprit.

Jeanine has been getting on my last nerve. How Eric manages to handle her, I don't know, but I feel like, if I don't see her for another year, it will still be too soon.

Then there is Natalie, who got wind of the shit Tris pulled. She snuck out and came over for a chat. Thank god the bruise is gone now and neither Eric nor Tris will ever find out about the blue eye I sported for most of the time they were gone.

Tris' friends seemed to need a constant sting of parties to get over her absence. Dares got out of hand and let's just say that they all have long records to call their own. None of them will receive a promotion for a while…..

I park the truck and switch off the engine. Jumping out, I walk to the front door with a spring in my step. My baby is coming back home!

I stop in my tracks, my hand extended to the handle, and stare dumbly at the black sock hanging over the metal.

What?

What?!

What the fuck?!

How dare he?!

My hand shakes so badly, I can't even dislodge the sock. I am appalled, did Eric not take me serious?

It takes me five more tries before I can put my hand on the handle and then I take a deep calming breath.

The next thing I know I am sliding over the hardwood floor and come to a screeching halt when I see Eric and Tris sitting at the table with their half eaten breakfast in front of them.

"Max," Eric greets me with real enthusiasm and I suddenly see red. I get tunnel view and the only thing still visible to me is Eric and the satisfied look on his face. No man looks like that unless he got some!

"You fucking asshole," I shout and rush him. I almost manage to hit him but he evades me in the last second. Tris comes to Eric's defense and I can practically feel my blood boil.

"What the fuck is wrong with you," Eric shouts.

What the fuck is wrong with me?!

"A fucking sock," I roar and Eric looks at me with confusion written all over his face.

"What?!"

"You put a fucking sock on the door knob and expect me to be civilised," I growl. That shit is not funny at all.

"I didn't….," Eric starts but Tris' sharp intake of air makes both of us turn around and look at her. She looks guilty as hell.

"What the fuck, Tris," Eric growls. God, how I missed hearing this sound!

"I thought it would be funny," she states, suddenly finding the floor really interesting.

My little Tris put a sock on the door to get me mad at Eric? He must have really pissed her off.

"Making Max mad at me is funny," he asks incredulously.

"I didn't think he would try to hit you," she admits.

Uh, what else did you expect? Congratulations?

"What did you expect to happen instead? That he knocks and asks if we need another hour before we are ready?"

"Another week here would have been nice," she grumbles. "I didn't think about the ramifications, I only thought it would be funny to see his face…. and yours."

"You put the sock on the door handle," I finally ask, turning my full attention on her. She looks good, healthy, and there is a real glow to her. She looks happy!

"Have you not learned a thing while being stuck out here?"

I know I am mean but I need to get this shit sorted right away because, if I have to, I will turn around and leave her here for another week or two. The first inkling of trouble and I am out of here before she can even blink her pretty eyelashes at me.

"No, I just thought it would be funny after Eric mentioned what he told you," Tris sighs.

Oh, for the sake of…. Really? Did she miss Zeke and Uriah as much as they missed her?

"Tris," I sigh, rubbing my face with both hands to win some time before I need to look at her.

"I know, Max. I really do. Just pretend I didn't do that and be nice to Eric; he helped me a lot," Tris begs.

So I do get to take my baby home! She is better and she got cured from all the crap she grew up with. No more working herself to death?!

"So you are going to be able to keep your work load at moderate levels," I ask, eager to hear her confirm it for me.

"I am sure Eric would simple drag me back home if I stayed at work too long," Tris snorts.

No, you will be Little Miss Independent. You don't need Eric anymore. Just one look at his face and I am back to finding it all suspicious.

"Well, Eric can go back to his normal routine and I will keep an eye on you," I promises, testing the water. Come on, Tris, give me something.

"Max, I love you but you are one of my enablers. If you keep an eye on me like you did the first time, I am sure as hell bound to overdo it," Tris admits rather crudely. "Eric has no qualms to tell me to shut up, get home and sit my ass down so he can pamper me."

Did she just….. No, I am sure she misspoke. She didn't mean to make it sound like … that…

"Eric wouldn't pamper you, he would lock you up and lose the key," I challenge. This is it. I know both of them and at least one will take the bait. I wasn't born yesterday and even though I am a sucker when it comes to Tris I still know how to read people.

"Eric loves me and wouldn't think of doing that! He would drag me home, feed me something ridiculously healthy, run me a bath and hand me a book so I am not bored. He would drag me to the couch, start a movie and distract me for as long as it takes to relax and settle down. Heck, the man just has to look at me and all I want to do is spend the whole day in bed with him…."

Aha! I knew it! I fucking knew it! He just can't go two fucking weeks without sex and now he compromised my baby!

Shit, my baby girl had sex with Eric! Did they use up that stash of condoms he claimed to bring along?

I only think about what this means for my girl's mental health when I swing at Eric and hit him square in the jaw. Fuck, my hand hurts!


End file.
